Nothing changes you like a beautiful story of friendship and the accompaniment of some killer tunes. I didn’t expect anything less from Wicked: For Good and the film delivered what it set out to accomplish.
Wicked: For Good, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, hit theatres November 21st, 2025. The film was directed by Jon M. Chu (Wicked, In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) and the screenplay was written by Winnie Holzman (Birds of Paradise), the original playwright of the Broadway musical, and Dana Fox (Cruella). Despite some small critiques, Wicked: For Good stands as a worthy addition in the movie-musical historical canon.
Wicked: For Good picks up years after the first movie and follows Elphaba Thropp (Erivo), who has now been fully branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, as she continues to fight for animal rights in Oz. Glinda, formerly known as Galinda (with a Ga), is the spokesperson for the Wizard as political turmoil sweeps across the country. Elphaba and Glinda, despite their differences, must work to bring justice and peace to Oz.
Other than the performances, which I will rave about later, the cinematography really made the film for me. The variety of camera angles allowed other aspects of the film to stand out (costumes and choreography, especially the short reprise of “What Is This Feeling” and the book choreography!). While the action scenes are shot well, the moment that stuck out most to me was the scene where Elphaba and Glinda confess their love for each other through a door while Elphaba is being chased by witch hunters. The shadows, lights, and metaphorical barrier of the door, along with the song For Good and its placement in the film, make it the emotional centerpiece of the film.
Arguably, what makes this scene the emotional center piece of the movie is the performances by Erivo and Grande. While they definitely shine in their chemistry, their solo performances cannot be understated. Erivo balances strength in the face of injustice and political turmoil with emotional vulnerability, especially through her vocal performances. “No Good Deed” was absolutely the centerpiece vocal performance of the movie and the sheer rage portrayed by Erivo during that scene. Her vulnerability, along with that of Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), in their performance of “As Long As You’re Mine” was another musical highlight of the film. However, it is through the song “For Good” that Erivo shines alongside the equally impressive performance of Grande. The film is named after this song and for good (pun unintended) reason. It is the culmination of one of the main themes of the entire story: relationships (but in this case, friendships) make some of the largest impact on our decisions, identity, and life. It promises us that no matter where people end up in life, we have been forever changed by the people we’ve met and fostered relationships with. In Elphaba, she accepts that she is a lovable person. In Glinda, she works to promote justice, even when it doesn’t serve her ambition. This performance is reason alone to watch Wicked: For Good.
In addition to the well known songs of the original Broadway musical, Stephen Schwartz returned to pen two new original songs for the film: “No Place Like Home” and “Girl In the Bubble”. These weren’t outstanding nor necessary additions to the already subpar (compared to the first film) selection of songs in Wicked: For Good. However, the message of “No Place Like Home” being one of diversity belonging in a country hostile to differences definitely felt relevant in the current political moment surrounding immigration.
In terms of all the technical aspects, everything worked pretty well. The lighting (i.e. “Wonderful”), sets, and costumes were really well done. Some CGI had a soupy quality to it but it didn’t distract too much. As for the plot, I thought it was well-executed. The second half of Wicked always felt weaker to me (especially music-wise) than the first act so I didn’t have that expectation of it being better than the first. Some parts felt dragged out while others felt rushed but again, this can be attributed to the original source material. Other great performances include Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Ethan Slater as Boq/Tinman, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Marissa Bode as Nessa/Wicked Witch of the East.
In all, Wicked: For Good is a delightful and impressive sequel to Wicked and is definitely worth the watch. Despite some criticisms surrounding the plot and some CGI work, this is a top film of 2025.
Wicked: For Good is now available for purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
