If you haven’t yet seen it yet, I have to warn you – it will trigger an obsession. Here’s my honest opinion on the new Michael Jackson film…

I hate that I have to write the following words. Making a Michael Jackson film in light of everything is controversial. It’s simply impossible to portray the full reality of who he was. Maybe because not a lot of people truly knew who he was, or maybe because people either idolise him or condemn him.

I’d love to say that I am able to remain somewhat unbiased while writing about it, however, the truth is I am not. I am one of the people who grew up listening to his music, I am one of the people who used to spend hours watching his short films and someone who asked for his biography for Christmas.

I’m obviously a fan of his. And while this is going to be biased, I’m going to try my hardest to look at it objectively. And here’s the truth. The Michael Jackson biopic, while it succeeds in some areas, lacks emotional depth.

What the Michael Jackson film gets right

The Michael you see in the movie is very much the Michael everyone has seen before. It’s Michael the icon and the legend, but not necessarily Michael the person. The visuals of the biopic really do capture his magic and talent. His love for music. Jaafar Jackson does an incredible job playing his uncle, with certain scenes showing Michael as a businessman. Someone who is decisive and capable of making difficult decisions. There were quite a few moments in the film when I turned to my friend and said: ”That was a really BDE move.”

His fame and influence are captured well in the movie and I think those who enjoy his music will not regret going to see it, especially since the second part of it feels somewhat like a concert.

The biggest issue: emotional depth

Okay, so having read books about him and listened to countless interviews with him, I felt like the biopic downplays his childhood. Even the scenes when Joseph is hitting him with a belt did not feel as impactful or raw as when Michael talked about it. Joseph, in the film, is depicted as someone who is cartoonishly bad and I can understand this depiction of him, considering it is the Jackson Estate behind the film. There is a sense of wanting to focus on the positive rather than reality.

Throughout his life, Michael talked a lot about loneliness. The life surrounded by people yet always alone. He sings about it too, it’s one of the biggest themes within his songs. Yet this sense of loneliness is not really there in the biopic. It seems surface-level, with Michael asking his brothers to play Twister, only for them to brush him off, and Michael, himself, laughing it off.

His relationship with his siblings is also not something we see in-depth, nor do we see Diana Ross and her grip on Michael.

Throughout the film, I sensed that I was seeing events unfold but not the emotion that would come with it.

The challenge of portraying Michael Jackson

Part of me knows that making an objective movie about Michael Jackson is pretty much impossible. It requires careful balancing of his celebrity and his humanity. I guess the director, Antoine Fuqua, decided to focus on his celebrity instead and while it might not have given the audience a glimpse at who Michael really, truly was, it was a celebration and a walk down memory lane of his brand.

I think a lot of people might want to see the film because of all the controversy surrounding Michael; however, I have to disappoint and say that it’s not in there. The movie ends with Michael’s BAD era. I personally think he was much more than the BS stories surrounding him, and I’m glad that those who are seeking a moment of cheap thrills will not get that.

If your Michael Jackson obsession is now triggered…

So, here is my honest opinion of the Michael Jackson film. It’s visually strong and worth watching. But once it ends, you’ll naturally end up wanting more. And that’s okay. The second part of the movie is coming, but before this happens, I strongly recommend listening to some of his interviews, delving deep into his lyrics, reading books that he appreciated and doing your own research into his life. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, of course, but if you’re media literate, you’ll be able to distinguish between what’s real and what isn’t.