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Thriller 40 (film)

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Thriller 40
Film poster
Directed byNelson George
StarringMichael Jackson
CinematographyJustin Kane
Edited byDarrin Roberts
Fred Koschmann
Distributed bySony Music Entertainment
Release date
  • December 2, 2023 (2023-12-02)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Thriller 40 is a 2023 documentary film about the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller. The film, directed by Nelson George, was released in the United States on December 2, 2023. It aired on Showtime and was streamed on Paramount+ 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.[1][2] On October 27, 2023, the trailer for the documentary was released.[1][3] A 40th-anniversary edition reissue of Thriller (1982) of the same title was released in 2022.

Cast

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Reception

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Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times 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 to the legendary appearance on Motown's 25th anniversary special to the release of music videos such as 'Beat It' and 'Thriller.'"[4]

Brian Lowry of CNN 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."[5]

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."[6]

Neal Justin of the Star Tribune compared Jackson's phenomenon to that of Taylor Swift, 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 to wig out over 'Billie Jean.' But it will show them that history only repeats itself."[7]

Dean Karayanis of The New York Sun 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."[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Atkinson, Katie (October 27, 2023). "Michael Jackson's Thriller Hailed by Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mark Ronson & More in 40th-Anniversary Doc: Trailer Premiere". Billboard.
  2. ^ "Michael Jackson: Thriller 40". BBFC. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Thriller 40 Official Trailer on YouTube
  4. ^ Roeper, Richard (November 30, 2023). "'Thriller 40' celebrates game-changing album that made Michael Jackson the King of Pop". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Lowry, Brian (December 1, 2023). "'Thriller 40' shifts the focus back to Michael Jackson's art, not the artist". CNN. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Alexandra, Rae (November 28, 2023). "'Thriller 40' Revels in the Magic of Early Michael Jackson — and Sidesteps His Controversies". KQED. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Justin, Neal (November 29, 2023). "TV review: Documentary looks at how Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' set the stage for Taylor Swift". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Karayanis, Dean (December 12, 2023). "'Thriller 40' Tells the Story of Michael Jackson's Musical Opus and Why Others Have Yet To, as It Were, Beat It". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
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