Alex Reviews "Wicked: For Good"

It has been one year since Wicked took over the cinema and many parts of the world it would seem. However, Wicked: For Good picks up the second act roughly five years after the events of the first act. It is a much darker Oz than we left it, and the film exemplifies that in some brilliant ways. Where the first film was one of the most enjoyable films of 2024, Wicked: For Good is unquestionably one of the best of 2025.

In those five years of the narrative, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has been demonized by Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West while her closest friend has become Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande), the beacon of hope for a none-the-wiser Oz population that is blind to the cruelty occurring right in front of them.

The tone takes a dramatic turn from the poppy and bright first act, and it suits the story so incredibly well with all of the subtle differences: muted tones, deeper colors, and darker settings.  The best example for me was the shift of wooded settings darkening in concurrence with the number of animals present.

Reviews often only mention director and performer choices when something is bizarre and off-putting. Wicked: For Good is the polar opposite. Fleshing out a stage production (see if you can spot the original Broadway poster in an early scene) can be very difficult to make a picture faithful to the original while still being grand. Jon M. Chu and his team have made me believe that no other team could have excelled this much with the Wicked universe. The entire series feels like it exists in paintings and W:FG has a range of artistic expressions that is staggering. I do not want to spoil details, but “The Girl in the Bubble” is the kind of scene that filmmakers have statues and careers based upon. Breathtaking! Chu will absolutely be in consideration for an Oscar. Beyond visuals, the work he did with his actors set them up for success so well that I’m going to make a bold claim about one of them shortly.

Actor performances between sequels can often feel like just a continuation of the same without growth. The care and delivery that the entire cast presents is magical. No pun intended, but I’m keeping it. Each character exudes the time and changes that are only alluded to by the passage of time is amazing!

Jonathan Bailey is one of the most charismatic and engaging performers of the last decade and his depth in a very different Fiyero is a range to admire. Michelle Yeoh is the acting (maybe not singing) powerhouse, and her tai chi expertise makes her casting of spells feel so believable that reality disappears. The most surprising performance was the subtlety behind Jeff Goldblum’s wizard. It’s the least a character changes, but that is suitable to the story. His slight changes based on the presentation is something only a truly skilled actor could nail and congratulations to Mr. Chu and Mr. Goldblum, you made me hate one of my favorite actors.

With those amazing performances, it could have limited Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. In brief: not even close.

Erivo raises her game from a role she earned an Oscar nomination for. Let that sink in for a minute, nominated and got better. Singing was never her issue and “No Good Deed” will cement that, but her acting independent of musical numbers is special. I cannot think of a better word. She is wonderful!

Bizarre to not have the lead as the hammer of this review, but that bold claim I mentioned earlier is here. The 98^th Academy Awards will have one of the most fiercely debated competitions ever for Best Supporting Actress…and I would bet a falling house on Ariana Grande to win that. She is the living embodiment of the whole process to why Wicked: For Good is so incredible. Her range between “Glinda the Good” and Galinda’s emotions in private is masterful work. Her performance in her musical numbers showcases the lengths of her musical talent. This is one of the best performances of an incredibly difficult role I have witnessed.

It should be obvious now that I am going to recommend seeing Wicked: For Good repeatedly in the most premium of formats possible, so I want to focus on something else to close. There has been a push for stunt awards at the Oscars but how is there no award for choreography?!? Christopher Scott, I see you and your team. There should be an Oscar already printed for you and your team.

Go see Wicked: For Good immediately and repeatedly when it releases on November 22!