Film Critics vs. Moviegoers: The Divide in Reception of Michael
The disconnect between film critics and the general audience has once again come to light with the success of Michael, a jukebox biopic about the late King of Pop, directed by Antoine Fuqua.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Michael has received a lackluster critical rating of just 40 percent. In contrast, viewers have rated it an impressive 96% fresh.
Already, Michael has set box office records and is expected to keep that momentum throughout its opening weekend.
For the Thursday Night Preview, Michael earned somewhere between $12.5 and $13.5 million—quite the impressive figures. For context, films like Avatar: Fire & Ash, Toy Story 4, and Dune: Part 2 also brought in around $12 million on their preview nights. Other movies, including Oppenheimer and the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake, had Thursday previews nearing $11 million.
This performance positions Michael to potentially break the opening weekend record for a music biopic. Currently, the record stands at $60.2 million, set in 2015 by Straight Outta Compton, which included $5 million from Thursday previews. Three years later, Bohemian Rhapsody opened with $51.1 million, including $4 million from its Thursday pre-release.
Additionally, Michael has shattered the overseas Thursday record for a music biopic, raking in $18.5 million.
Initial projections suggest Michael could gross between $65 million and $75 million over the weekend, surpassing the previous record set by Straight Outta Compton. However, the film’s extraordinary Thursday numbers have exceeded expectations.
Of course, there’s a chance this surge is driven by Michael Jackson’s dedicated fan base, eager to see the film. It’s always a bit risky to speculate about box office outcomes, but I can’t help but feel two things: 1) the fan base might be larger than many think, and 2) they’re likely to return for repeat viewings. So, there’s a good chance Michael will see substantial box office revenue and might even surpass past records, like the $900 million total of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Interestingly, the criticism directed at Michael from some film critics seems to have backfired. There’s been much discussion about the film’s approach to the child abuse allegations that surrounded Jackson in the past. As far as I’ve gathered, Michael opts not to address these controversies, focusing instead on Jackson’s undeniable talents and charisma—elements his fans cherish and are drawn to.
Personally, I’ve always found the allegations against Jackson rather unconvincing. The government invested significant resources in pursuing convictions, but two grand juries in 1993 chose not to indict him, and during a second trial in 2004, he was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. It’s hard not to roll my eyes at the sensationalism surrounding these accusations.
If the jury didn’t find him guilty, then why would there be a need for a $100 million film about him?
And shouldn’t we present Michael Jackson as a figure worthy of admiration? Wouldn’t that offer a positive influence for young people? Why not create the kind of role model we’d like to see, even if his life had complicated aspects?
Ultimately, one clear takeaway from this situation is that everyday moviegoers often disregard the opinions of critics.
