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Is the Michael Jackson biopic worth watching? Our balanced review of Michael (2026) — plus where to catch it now at Nairobi cinemas. Rated PG-13. Now showing.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Mike Myers | Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes | Rating: PG-13 | Released: 24 April 2026
Few artists have ever commanded a cinema screen the way Michael Jackson commanded a stage — and for long stretches of Antoine Fuqua's big-budget biopic, Michael delivers exactly the kind of electrifying spectacle that justifies a trip to the cinema. But between the moonwalks and the iconic hits lies a film that raises as many questions as it answers — and deliberately sidesteps some of the most significant ones.
Here is our balanced take.
Michael traces the arc of Jackson's life from his childhood in Gary, Indiana in the mid-1960s, through his years as the youngest lead vocalist of the Jackson 5, to his emergence as a global solo superstar during the Bad world tour at Wembley Stadium in 1988. The film is an origin story — a deliberate first chapter in what Lionsgate clearly intends to be a franchise, as the closing title card "His story continues" makes plain.
Written by John Logan and produced with the involvement of the Jackson estate, the film covers Jackson's artistic evolution, his fraught relationship with his domineering father Joseph (Colman Domingo), his blossoming creative partnerships, and the relentless personal sacrifice that accompanied his pursuit of greatness.
The single greatest argument for watching Michael in a cinema is Jaafar Jackson. The late icon's real-life nephew, making his acting debut, does not simply impersonate his uncle — he inhabits him. His smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, and his command of the musical sequences — Billie Jean, Thriller, Beat It — are the film's undisputed highlights. Watching these performances recreated at full cinematic scale, with a booming sound system, is genuinely thrilling.
Much like Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, the film leans heavily on recreations of iconic performances, and those sequences justify every cent of the reported near-$200 million budget. IMAX alone accounted for a significant share of opening weekend ticket sales, and it is easy to understand why — the sound and scale of these musical moments simply cannot be replicated at home.
Colman Domingo's portrayal of Joseph Jackson is equally compelling — menacing, complex and deeply human in ways the screenplay sometimes struggles to match.
The film's most significant weakness is also its most deliberate creative choice. After a clause was discovered in a legal settlement, references to the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson were removed and the third act was revised. The result is a film that ends in 1988 — before the most controversial chapters of Jackson's life — leaving audiences with an incomplete portrait.
Critics have noted that Michael paints a sanitized portrait of Jackson, since the film ends before he was accused of child molestation. Jackson, who died in 2009, denied all allegations. Whether you view that omission as a reasonable creative boundary or an act of narrative cowardice will likely define your overall experience of the film.
Beyond that central controversy, the screenplay by John Logan fails to provide sufficient depth to its subject, as would be expected in the musical biopic genre. The sheer magnitude of Jackson's accomplishments are shuffled into the background to create space for a plethora of scenes involving banal business meetings and repetitive lectures from his father.
The film remains thoroughly confused about who its star was — a charming underdog hustling to break through, or a prodigal talent predestined for the highest tier of fame. That identity confusion robs the story of the emotional coherence it needs.
It is worth noting the sharp divide between critical and audience reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of critics' reviews are positive, while audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A–, with 84% of PostTrak respondents saying they would definitely recommend it.
Michael debuted to $97 million in the US and $219 million globally, making it the biggest opening weekend ever for a musical biopic. Kenyan audiences were among the first in Africa to see it — Kenya was the third African country to host a premiere of the film, after Nigeria and South Africa, with the exclusive East African screening held at Century Cinemax, Sarit Centre.
The box office verdict is clear: audiences want this film, reviews be damned.
Michael is two films awkwardly stitched into one. As a concert film and a showcase for Jaafar Jackson's extraordinary physical and emotional talent, it is unmissable — best experienced on the biggest, loudest screen you can find. As a biography, it is a carefully managed highlights reel that prioritises celebration over truth.
If you love Michael Jackson's music and want to relive the magic of Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean on a cinema screen, go. You will leave exhilarated. If you are hoping for the definitive, unflinching portrait of one of the most complex figures in pop history, temper your expectations — that story, it seems, is still waiting to be told.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Spectacular in performance. Incomplete as biography.
Michael is now showing at the following Nairobi cinemas. Book your tickets in advance — it is selling out fast.
Century Cinemax — now showing at all four Nairobi locations:
Book at: centurycinemax.co.ke
Anga Cinemas — check current listings at:
Book at: cinema.angacinemas.com
Additional listings across all Nairobi cinemas available at: kenyabuzz.com/movies
Pro tip: For the full Michael Jackson experience, book IMAX at Century Cinemax Garden City or Sarit Centre. The sound system alone is worth the upgrade.
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