Jaafar Jackson's Michael Biopic: A Mixed Bag

0:00It's April 23rd. Music news today starts now, AI powered and ready to play. J.F.R. Jackson just stepped into the spotlight with his big screen debut in the Michael Jackson biopic called Michael, which dropped in theaters on, April 24th, 2026. The nephew of the king of pop and son of Jermaine Jackson nailed his first major role, but critics weren't sold on the film overall, giving it just. 36% on Rotten Tomatoes from 120 reviews and a 38 out of 100 on Metacritic. Fans online lit up right away, turning the movies release into a full-on roast of the worst music biopic ever. They dragged the 2017 two-pock flick all eyes on me, as the bottom of the barrel, with some calling a straight trash that nothing tops. Others jumped in, ripping the Biggie Small story, and even saying they dozed off during last year's Bob Marley joint. It sparked this chaotic ranking of music movie flops, all while folks sized up Michael's spot on the list.

1:03Even with the backlash, reviewers singled out Jafar's performance as a bright spot, crediting director Antoine Fuqua, writer John Logan, and stars. Like Neil Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Coleman Domingo for that much. The big gripe? The film sidesteps the heavy allegations Michael faced, leaving many feeling it missed the mark on his complicated life. Filmmakers keep chasing that full picture of the icon. But these biopics just can't seem to land a right.