Thriller 40

Thriller 40 is currently streaming on major platforms, and it treats its subject with more rigour than the format usually demands. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 9/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Rigorous in a way documentary storytelling does not always commit to. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Thriller 40 earns its spot. The access Thriller 40 gets is remarkable — and the storytelling does full justice to it. Forty years after the release of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ the best-selling album of all-time, director Nelson George takes fans back in time to the making of a pop masterpiece, featuring never-before-seen footage and candid interviews. Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2023. The restraint in Thriller 40 is what makes it trustworthy — it does not need to editorialise to make its point. Every minute repays the time invested, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Thriller 40 is the kind of documentary you immediately want to recommend to someone else. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. The subject drives every choice here, not the other way around. The kind of production you finish and immediately want to read more about.