''Thriller 40'' is a 2023 documentary film about the 40th anniversary of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's 1982 album ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

''. The film, directed by

Nelson George Nelson George (born September 1, 1957) is an American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Biography George attended St. John's Universit ...

, was released in the United States on December 2, 2023. It aired on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

and was streamed on

Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...

only for Showtime subscribers. Internationally, it debuted the same day in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Latin America, and South Korea. On October 27, 2023, the trailer for the documentary was released. A 40th-anniversary edition

reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...

of ''

'' (1982) of the same title was released in 2022.

Cast

Reception

Richard Roeper Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...

of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' gave the film three out of four stars. He wrote that it's "an upbeat and well-paced celebration of the making of the album that yielded seven Top 10 singles and inspired a number of seminal moments of cultural significance, from Jackson breaking racial barriers on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

to the legendary appearance on Motown's 25th anniversary special to the release of music videos such as '

Beat It "Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, ''Thriller (album), Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones, and co-produced by Jackson. Jones encouraged Jackson to ...

' and '

.'" Brian Lowry of

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

said, "Nelson George has delivered an unabashed celebration of Jackson's musical genius, and the landmark album that propelled him into a pop stratosphere where few could lay a glove on him." He felt the documentary "consciously and effectively brings the focus back to the music and the thrills he delivered as a performer", as well as "all the other ways Jackson influenced the industry, and less on the man himself." Rae Alexandra of KQED observed that ''Thriller 40'' "illustrates what it took for Jackson to be considered a true 'crossover artist' — a mainstream pop star rather than an R&B one — at a time when racial divisions in the industry were uncompromising". She concluded, "''Thriller 40'' offers an immersive nostalgia and a reminder of one of the last points in pop culture before it felt like we’d seen everything." Neal Justin of the ''

Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

'' compared Jackson's phenomenon to that of

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

, and felt that ''Thriller 40'' "shows how the King of Pop had a similar — if not more significant — influence on pop culture." He concluded that it "may not convince

Swifties Swifties are the fandom of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Regarded by journalists as one of the largest, and most devoted fanbases, Swifties are known for their high levels of participation, community, and cultural impact on the mus ...

to wig out over '

Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 3, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, ''Thriller (album), Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produ ...

.' But it will show them that history only repeats itself." Dean Karayanis of ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative Online newspaper, news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) onlin ...

'' felt that "''Thriller 40'' presents the greatest album of all time in stark relief, not relying on nostalgia or star power. Jackson may be gone, but our 'Thriller' world is still spinning — and thanks to his talent, nothing else, it seems, can beat it."

References

External links

* {{Michael Jackson 2023 films American documentary films Documentary films about Michael Jackson 2020s English-language films 2020s American films English-language documentary films