Picture this: The lights go dark. The theater goes silent. A bucket of water tips. Green skin dissolves into nothing. The villain is dead– or is she? Released on Nov. 21, “Wicked: For Good” shatters everything you thought you knew about good and evil, turning a beloved Broadway musical into the most emotionally powerful film of the year. Director Jon M. Chu forces each audience to answer an impossible question: would you risk everything you love to fight for what’s right, even when the entire world is telling you you’re wrong? Combined with colorful visuals and unforgettable voices, this film will challenge you with uncomfortable truths about power. “Wicked: For Good” continues the story of 2024’s “Wicked” as main characters Elphaba and Glinda find themselves on rival sides of Oz’s growing conflict — Elphaba fighting for animal rights while being hunted, Glinda becoming the Wizard’s spokesperson and building her image on lies. When tragedy strikes and Prince Fiyero, captain of the Gale Force, must choose between duty and love, the film builds toward an emotional ending that will leave you sobbing in your seat.
The film’s greatest strength is how it tackles complicity and resistance head-on. The shift from Part One’s bright pinks and greens to darker tones show that consequences have become serious for both characters. The costumes, designed by Paul Tazewell, reflect this change. Elphaba fully embraces her “wicked” image in all black with dark braids, while Glinda shifts from her signature pink dress to purple and blue tones, depicting the betrayal and heartbreak she experiences.
The setting choices also create stark contrasts that help viewers understand how propaganda shapes public perception. During the Yellow Brick Road opening celebration, the government orchestrates a propaganda spectacle while Elphaba hides in exile. The film brilliantly incorporates the original “Wizard of Oz” characters — Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion — as nostalgic heroes and villains.
Cynthia Erivo delivers a career-defining performance as Elphaba throughout the entire film. Where the Broadway version of Elphaba maintains theatrical energy throughout, Erivo brings raw exhaustion and desperation that feels achingly real. Her rage after her sister Nessarose’s death, her panic when trying to save Fiyero and her resignation when accepting she must fake her death showcase the character’s everlastingly loving personality. Erivo’s vocals during “No Good Deed” surpasses even the Broadway original, bringing emotion to Elphaba’s breaking point. While Idina Menzel’s “Defying Gravity” remains iconic, Erivo’s interpretation in Part Two shows greater range and vulnerability.
Ariana Grande shuts down any doubts about her dramatic acting skills with a transformation that feels real and heartbreaking. Glinda changes from a bubbly student into someone forced to face her own role in an oppressive system, making her the most interesting moral arc in the film. One powerful scene shows her talking about her childhood, wishing she had magical powers to make herself loved by everyone. This moment shows the insecurity hiding beneath Glinda’s perfect image, making her later choices feel regrettable rather than evil. What makes Grande’s performance really work is how she balances Glinda’s real love for Elphaba with her desperate need for approval. You can see how being afraid of losing popularity can make good people stay quiet about horrendous things.
Chu subtly weaves in a powerful message through the film’s depiction of Animals, a class of intelligent creatures. Animals in Oz lose their voices, literally unable to speak anymore. Dr. Dillamond, the goat professor from Part One, shows up caged and silenced, his intelligence erased by the Wizard’s cruelty. Other Animals become Madam Morrible’s monkey spies, their bodies used as weapons against their own community of Oz.
The musical composition carries emotional weight that purely theatrical performances struggle to achieve. “For Good,” the final duet between Elphaba and Glinda, becomes the film’s devastating centerpiece. The song’s lyrics about how people change each other take on new meaning when you know this is their last conversation. Elphaba begs Glinda to stay quiet and protect herself while Glinda watches Dorothy “kill” her best friend with water. Unlike the Broadway version, where audiences know intermission will bring resolution, the film’s permanence makes the goodbye feel final and heartbreaking.
“Wicked: For Good” is more than just another adaptation of the Broadway musical — it’s a masterpiece that asks viewers to think about their own choices when they see injustice happening around them. Erivo and Grande deliver poignant performances that will stick with you even after the credits roll. Walking out of the theater, you can’t stop thinking about Glinda inheriting a system she helped build, or Elphaba having to erase herself completely just to survive. The Wicked finale exudes a magical sense of warmth and emotional weight while immersing you in the fantastical world of Oz.
Rating: 4.5 Viking helmets out of 5
