A parent's guide to the Michael Jackson movie – Is it family-friendly?
A parent's guide to the Michael Jackson movie – Is it family-friendly?
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, April 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC
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Spoiler alert! We're delving into what happens in the new Michael Jackson biopic "Michael." To the extent that real-life events can be spoiled, turn away now if you don't want to know specifics.
After plenty of controversy, Michael Jackson is moonwalking his way to movie theaters.
Jaafar Jackson transforms into his uncle Michael Jackson in the musical biopic "Michael" (in theaters April 24). In light of child molestation accusations against the iconic pop star − which he denied − parents may be wondering where the movie falls on the spectrum between sanitized and harrowing. Does "Michael" delve into adult topics like alleged sexual abuse, or is it akin to watching a series of music videos of his greatest hits?
All in all, the film is more the latter than the former. "Michael" is a relatively family-friendly affair, which could easily be shown on broadcast television with only small edits for language. But there are a few things parents may want to know before bringing younger viewers to the theater.
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Jaafar Jackson (left) performs as Michael during his 1987 Bad tour. Michael (right) onstage during his first solo show in Japan on Sept. 12, 1987.
What is 'Michael' rated?
"Michael" is rated PG-13 for some thematic material, language and smoking, per the Motion Picture Association.
Is there bad language in 'Michael'?
Yes, there are some swear words in "Michael," which seems to be one of the primary reasons the film is rated PG-13 rather than PG.
The swearing is certainly not pervasive, though, and only occurs here and there; there are large stretches of the film that are totally clean language-wise.
There is also some extremely mild sexual innuendo in a scene where Michael wants to play Twister with his brothers, who are all busy doing other things. One of them jokes that another of the brothers has a date, so he'll be playing his own game of Twister.
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The Jackson family has been showing up in style to celebrate the release of Antoine Fuqua's "Michael" biopic. Starring Michael Jackson's real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop himself, the film explores Michael's meteoric rise to fame, from his early days in the Jackson 5 to his 1980s Bad tour. Here, Jaafar Jackson arrives on the world premiere red carpet in Berlin on April 10, 2026.
Does anything scary or intense happen in 'Michael'?
There are a few moments in "Michael" that may be too intense for very young viewers, starting with one of its primary storylines: Michael's relationship with his dad. Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo) is depicted as physically abusive in the film, and an early scene shows him taking off his belt and brutally beating Michael while the boy screams and cries.
A few scenes later, Joe is shown getting ready to beat Michael again, indicating that this is something that happens frequently. But during this second instance, the door closes and the movie cuts away. From then on, no more physical abuse occurs in front of the camera, though there is tension in the air during many of Joe's scenes, as Michael is scared of standing up to his dad until the very end. There is also often a sense that Joe could snap and become angry at any given moment.
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Colman Domingo plays Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson, who is depicted as physically abusive in "Michael."
Another sequence that may be too scary for little kids is when Michael is injured while shooting a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The scene shows Michael's hair catching on fire from pyro, and things get intense as he is dramatically rushed to the hospital. There, a doctor explains Michael nearly died, and we get a look at his burned scalp, though it isn't especially graphic.
While at the hospital, Michael meets with other burn victims. Michael visits sick kids throughout the film, including a scene that shows him sitting with a child who is lying in a hospital bed.
Earlier, there's a scene where Michael gets a nose job and arrives home with bandages on his face, though the procedure isn't shown.
There is also a scene where Michael watches a news report about gang violence. The report features victims of gang violence, including a man who lifts his shirt up to show scars underneath, though it's no more graphic than you'd see on the actual news.
The only other moment that could potential scare very little kids is the recreation of the "Thriller" music video, though it's less scary than the real one, given that it shows the zombies are fake. Beforehand, a few mildly scary clips from horror films like "Night of the Living Dead" are shown to depict Michael being inspired by them.
Little kids also might wonder about the fact that Michael is shown to have seemingly no friends in the film other than his many pets. Themes of loneliness and isolation are touched on, and the film hints at the idea that Michael is in a state of arrested development, continuing to obsess over Peter Pan into his adulthood.
Are there scenes of sexual abuse in 'Michael'?
No. The child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson aren't explored or referenced in the film in any way. Multiple reports have indicated the allegations were originally set to be addressed near the end of the film, but the storyline was removed due to a legal issue. The movie now ends in 1988, five years before Jackson was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. That means the film also doesn't acknowledge Jackson's 2009 death or any other events that occurred in the last 20 years of his life.
"Michael" ends in the late '80s and does not address the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson.Is there any drug abuse in 'Michael'?
No. Drug use isn't a theme explored in "Michael," and there aren't any scenes showing characters abusing drugs. The only significant drug reference is a moment when Michael resists taking painkillers after his accident. There are also a few minor, period-accurate moments of people smoking cigarettes or cigars and drinking alcohol, typically in a workplace environment or business meeting.
How long is 'Michael'?
"Michael" clocks in at 2 hours and 7 minutes. Despite ending with onscreen text that teases a second movie, there are no scenes during the credits.
Contributing: Patrick Ryan
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is the Michael Jackson movie OK for little kids? A parent's guide
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