🏆🎬“Hollywood Ignored a Masterpiece?” — Why Michael Jackson’s Short Films Deserve the Oscar That Was Never Given
— They broke the rules. They redefined the medium. They stunned the world. And yet… the Academy never looked his way. It’s time to ask: Why hasn’t Michael Jackson’s cinematic genius been given the gold it deserves?

He Didn’t Just Sing the Story — He Directed It, Starred In It, and Revolutionized It

When most people think of Michael Jackson, they picture the moonwalk, the glittering glove, and stadiums erupting with cheers. But hidden in plain sight, there lies a legacy just as bold — and criminally overlooked: his short films.

Not “music videos” — short films. That’s what Jackson insisted they be called. Because for him, these weren’t just promotional clips. They were cinematic experiences. And watching them now, decades later, one thing becomes clear:

Michael Jackson wasn’t just the King of Pop. He was a visionary filmmaker.

The Thriller Effect: The Short Film That Changed Everything

Before Thriller, music videos were just low-budget TV fillers. Then Jackson came along with a concept that no one saw coming:

A 14-minute horror film, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Landis (An American Werewolf in London)

A full storyline, complete with dialogue, plot, and cinematic tension

Groundbreaking makeup, choreography, and visual effects for its time

The impact?

MTV played it every hour.

It revived the entire concept of longform music storytelling.

It was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress — the first music video ever to receive that honor.

And yet… no Oscar.

“Thriller was better than most short films made that year,” said filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. “If it were submitted to the Academy as a short narrative, it would’ve been undeniable.”

Smooth Criminal: A Neo-Noir Dance Saga That Hollywood Forgot

Let’s talk about Smooth Criminal — a piece of pure cinematic noir where Michael transforms into a zoot-suited anti-hero saving children from gangsters, blending Fred Astaire elegance with Al Capone grit.

The famous 45-degree anti-gravity lean? Real. No CGI. No wires.

Every frame — color graded, lit, and blocked like a Scorsese crime thriller.

The sequence was so iconic, it became the centerpiece of Moonwalker (1988), a full-length anthology film.

If this had been made by Tarantino or Spike Jonze, it would’ve swept short film festivals. But because it was by Michael Jackson, it was shelved into “pop music.”

Was it genius hiding in glitter?

Ghosts (1996): A 40-Minute Horror Masterpiece That Nobody Talks About

Michael Jackson’s Ghosts is, by all accounts, his most ambitious short film ever. Written with Stephen King. Directed by Stan Winston, the special effects legend behind Jurassic Park and Terminator 2.

Multiple characters played by Jackson himself

A chilling tale of social judgment, fear, and isolation

Make-up effects, dance sequences, and digital morphing years ahead of its time

And the message? Timeless.

A man different from his town is hunted, demonized… and responds with creativity, defiance, and art. Sound familiar?

In an age where mental health and social alienation are dominant themes, Ghosts feels more relevant than ever. And yet, again — no Oscar consideration. Not even a nomination.

Bad, Remember the Time, Scream, Earth Song… The List Goes On

Jackson didn’t just make videos. He made world-building universes in 4 to 15 minutes.

Bad (directed by Martin Scorsese): A gritty coming-of-age drama with Broadway-level choreography

Remember the Time (directed by John Singleton): Ancient Egypt reimagined as a futuristic Afro-centric utopia

Scream (co-starring Janet Jackson): The most expensive music video ever made at the time — and a psychological space odyssey

Earth Song: A heartbreaking eco-apocalypse vision that predated today’s climate documentaries by two decades

These weren’t just promotional tools. They were thematic statements — part protest, part performance, part prophecy.

So Why Has the Academy Never Recognized It?

Let’s address the unspoken question: Why was none of this Oscar-worthy in the Academy’s eyes?

Some possible reasons:

The snobbery between “music videos” and “cinema”

The blurred lines between entertainment and activism in Jackson’s work

His overwhelming pop dominance may have ironically led to cinematic underestimation

But in the age of Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Childish Gambino’s This Is America — both hailed as visual masterpieces — it’s clear that Michael Jackson was simply ahead of his time.

Conclusion: The Academy May Have Ignored Him — But History Won’t

Michael Jackson’s short films pushed boundaries, shattered definitions, and influenced an entire generation of visual artists. From Spike Jonze to Hype Williams to Beyoncé and beyond — his fingerprints are everywhere in modern short-form cinema.

He didn’t just dance. He directed. He conceptualized. He changed the medium.

Maybe he never got his Oscar. But in the eyes of millions — and in the cinematic DNA of every artist since — he already won.