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".

"[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.