With so many Jacksons involved in creating this visually striking film, I ended up feeling let down by its lack of substance. Jaafar Jackson certainly possesses some of his uncle's appeal and that youthful vulnerability, however, if I hadn’t known he was related to the family, I probably wouldn’t have been entirely sold on his portrayal outside of the dance sequences. The story kicks off with his childhood—around ten, or maybe eight?—showing the harsh treatment from their controlling father Joe (Colman Domingo), while their mother Katherine (Nia Long) watches on, though we don't really understand the connection between the siblings (and Janet is nowhere to be seen). Even though it runs for a couple of hours, when we reach the adult years—the snakes and llamas period—it feels rushed, and we don’t truly explore his relationships with Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate) or Quincy Jones (Kendrick Simpson), or his agent/manager/confidant John Branca (Miles Teller). There's no denying that this Jackson shines when he's in the recording studio or on stage; his performances are almost like impersonations, but they also have a sense of originality that reminds you he brings something unique to the role—a certain charm that comes across throughout. The film is as flashy and inventive as the original shows were, yet it lacks any real depth. It feels more like an elaborate fan publication that gets us to the "Bad" era with the suggestion of more to come, but without giving us much insight into who he was than what you could find on Wikipedia. Domingo’s performance has a manic quality that does work well, however, perhaps those involved were too familiar with the subject to offer an honest perspective on what motivated him, and so I left the cinema remembering a man I saw at Wembley in 1988 fondly, but not feeling like I learned anything particularly new.

Source on TMDB