&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Completely distorted': Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed claims Michael ignores abuse allegations against Michael Jackson")
Michael, featuring Jaafar Jackson, was released on April 24, and since then, it has become a hot topic of conversation online. While many praised the film for its scale and performances, others believe that the biopic has allegedly avoided the dark side of Michael Jackson's legacy.
Emmy-winning filmmaker Dan Reed has recently criticised the film for presenting a distorted and overly sanitised portrayal of the late pop icon.
Dan Reed criticises Michael
The filmmaker, who directed the controversial documentary Leaving Neverland, claimed that the film sidesteps serious allegations of child sexual abuse linked to the singer. Reed's documentary has won a Primetime Emmy Award, and according to him, the film tries to create a narrative that changes public perception rather than engaging with the accusations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
In an interview with Variety, Reed said that the "issue of his relationship with children is completely distorted by the fact that they portray him as an eccentric, overgrown child, which we know is not the full story."
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Criticising specific scenes showing Jackson visiting sick children, he added, "That made me feel really icky. It suggests that Jackson’s engagement with children was entirely benign and motivated by nothing but philanthropy… I’m not calling for Jackson to be “canceled” and for nobody to listen to his music, but Wade and James’ story needs to be respected as well, and what the movie does is creates a version of events that essentially portrays Wade, James, and others who’ve accused Jackson of child sexual abuse as liars without actually articulating it. They’re saying that the reason Jackson liked children is because he’s an angel and just wanted to be nice to children, not that he wanted to have sex with them."
Also Read: Michael early reviews: Netizens hail Jaafar Jackson's performance, call the biopic 'generic'
The director further alleged that the film reverses reality, claiming it "just flips the truth on its head." He pointed out that the narrative concludes in the 1980s, before abuse allegations against Jackson became public.
Controversy around Jackson's legacy
The debate surrounding Jackson’s legacy has been there for decades. Reed's 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, centred on the accounts of Robson and Safechuck, detailing their allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael Jackson, and how it impacted their lives.
About Michael
Helmed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael also features Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film explores Jackson’s rise from his early days to global fame. The film continues to run successfully at the box office.
