Michael Lights Up Rotten Tomatoes With Certified Hot Audience Score

So, there’s a new Michael Jackson movie on the horizon—literally called 'Michael'—and let’s just say, the early reactions are sparking way more debate than probably anyone behind the scenes expected. Here’s what’s up with Antoine Fuqua’s much-hyped biopic before it moonwalks into theaters on April 24.

The Scope: Early Days to Megastardom (But Not Beyond)

'Michael' doesn’t even attempt to untangle the pop icon’s more controversial later years—this one is all about his rise. You start with little Michael and the Jackson 5, and the movie fast-forwards all the way to 1988, basically pressing pause before things got… complicated, publicly. In other words, if you’re expecting a deep dive into the scandals or the man behind the mask later in his career, you won’t get it.

Casting: Keeping It in the Family… Literally

The movie’s big draw is that Jaafar Jackson—who is, yes, Michael Jackson’s actual nephew—plays the King of Pop himself. You also get some familiar faces: Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Laura Harrier show up, making the cast a legit blend of new blood and veterans.

How’s the Movie? Well, Critics and Fans Seem to Have Watched Two Different Films

Press screenings have already happened, and critics aren’t exactly sending love letters. The consensus is that the movie is, to put it mildly, pretty sanitized—a glowing tribute more interested in making you miss Michael than actually showing his real-life ups and downs. One recurring complaint: it ends suddenly, just as things should be getting interesting (or uncomfortable).

'It feels more like a tribute than a real biopic,' is the running theme from early reviews.

But here’s the plot twist—audiences are loving it (or at least the ones who are showing up early). Rotten Tomatoes just gave its first Popcornmeter reading for 'Michael'—a whopping 95% audience score. Meanwhile, the Tomatometer (the one critics control) barely crawled up to 39% as of April 23, just before release. When that number first dropped, it was stuck at 27%, which, for a movie with this much hype, is impressively low.

Quick Cast Breakdown

• Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson (yes, actually related)
• Miles Teller
• Colman Domingo
• Nia Long
• Laura Harrier

So, to sum it up: this is a music biopic that apparently wants to celebrate, not investigate. If you’re down for two-plus hours of pure nostalgia (or just to see how Jaafar pulls off his uncle’s voice and moves), you’ll get what you came for. If you’re hoping for a warts-and-all look at Jackson, you might walk out still scratching your head.

For now, audiences seem happy enough to let their feet do the talking. Critics, not so much.