Michael Jackson may have been known as the King of Pop, but he's also been deemed the greatest entertainer of all time.
His talent isn’t only confined to singing, songwriting, and dancing, but also to acting. His music videos alone, such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller,” are movies in their own right, credited for transforming music videos from a promotional tool into an art form.
So, what about the movies he starred in? Well, he wouldn’t be called one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century for nothing. With that being said, here are the top Jackson movies every fan should watch.
The Wiz (1978)
The 1978 musical The Wiz is the only time Jackson appeared in a traditional, non-musical-short-film, feature-length Hollywood movie.
Directed by Sidney Lumet, it’s based on the 1974 Broadway musical that reimagines the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum with an African-American cast.
In fact, it also includes Jackson’s longtime friend and mentor, Diana Ross, as Dorothy Gale, while he played the Scarecrow, proving he could act with his natural comedic timing and good moves even before he became a global superstar.
So while the movie was a critical and commercial failure, Jackson’s performance was actually praised.
Captain EO (1986)
Jackson didn’t just work with some of the biggest names in the music industry; he also collaborated with some of the most iconic directors and producers, such as George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, in the cinematic world for the 1986 short film Captain EO.
While it isn’t a typical movie but a 17-minute 3D film attraction shown exclusively at Disney theme parks around the world, it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis at the time, averaging a whopping $1.76 million per minute - thanks to blending live-action performance with advanced 3D special effects and in-theater effects like smoke and lasers.
Here, Jackson stars as the titular Captain EO, leading a ragtag spaceship crew to deliver a "gift," which is music, to the villainous Supreme Leader (Anjelica Huston). Well, it’s like a Star Wars rip-off with an amazing choreographed dance scene at the end.
Moonwalker (1988)
Promoted as “a movie like no other,” Moonwalker, named after Jackson’s famous moonwalk dance move, is a collection of short films, several of which are long-form music videos from his 1987 album, Bad.
This sprawling, experimental anthology film is a pure manifestation of Jackson’s whimsical and often dark cinematic imagination.
In addition to featuring the full-length “Smooth Criminal” scenes, he returns fire with missiles as people shoot at him and blows them to hell, making the movie truly surreal. In fact, the story even transforms Jackson into a robot, a spaceship, and a stop-motion animated rabbit to save three children from the villain Mr. Big, played by Joe Pesci.
Michael Jackson’s Ghosts (1996)
Jackson unleashed his great acting ability in the 1996 short film, Ghosts. Directed by legendary special effects creator Stan Winston and written by horror master Stephen King and Mick Garris, the movie follows an extraordinary man with supernatural powers who is forced to leave a small town by its judgmental mayor.
Here, Jackson plays five different characters: the Maestro (the protagonist), the villainous Mayor, and three different ghostly entities.
Of course, this would never be complete without dance performances, with the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer dancing to the songs “2 Bad,” “Is It Scary,” and “Ghosts.”
As the AV Club put it, Ghosts is “an allegory for Jackson’s life and pop culture status.”
This Is It (2009)
This 2009 documentary film probably helped fans to process Jackson’s death in the same year it was released.
This Is It features the rehearsal footage of Jackson’s planned 50-show London concert residency that was tragically cancelled due to his unexpected passing, making it the most poignant entry on the list.
This film gives a raw glimpse into Jackson’s creative process as a director, performer, and visionary as he worked with his team of musicians, choreographers, and crew members.
As fans once again saw him dancing to his hits like “Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Billie Jean,” it was also the final time he showed his powerful talent.
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