Film Review: Wicked: For Good

Welcome back to the blog readers. As you should know by now, I am not entirely the biggest fan of musicals on the face of the planet, so much so that I have never seen a Broadway show. So, when Wicked (2024) defied gravity and became a box-office smash, I fell in love with that film real fast. I even said that Ariana Grande should have won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars this past March. Knowing that the conclusion of the popular (see what I did there?) show was imminent, it was one of my most anticipated films of the year. Could it live up to the immense hype that I had for it? Stick around to find out.

Wicked: For Good was directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West  by Gregory Maguire and the musical Wicked by Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. The film stars Ariana Grande-Butera, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and the voice of Colman Domingo. In the film, set after the events of Wicked and before and during The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda's friendship is put to the test as they embrace their respective roles as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Like I alluded to in the introductory paragraph, I became a fast fan of the first film (say that five times fast) and thought it should have gotten a lot more love at the Oscars. This was my most anticipated film of the rest of 2025 (yes, even including Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) that will have a trailer for Avengers: Doomsday (2026) attached to it), but seeing the less positive reviews made me a little nervous in all honesty. Thank goodness (see what I did there?) I was right to not listen to them, because I think I loved this film as much as I did the first. The performances (especially from Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Ethan Slater), the music, and the script are all things that I have to praise.

Let us start with talking about our Wicked Witch of the West, Cynthia Erivo. When Erivo took on the role of Elphaba Thropp, she had already been Oscar nominated, and I praised her ability to channel emotion and power when it mattered to make this version of the character as memorable as she possibly could. There are no words to describe what Erivo did for this film to elevate Elphaba into a complex and morally grey character, that comes across as one of my favorite performances of the year, bar none. She gets more opportunities this time around to showcase that uber-level talent she has, and she knows how to get you invested in the narrative through her unique charisma. One scene in particular had my jaw on the floor due to what I was watching her do. She will get a third Best Actress nomination for this, and she has a real shot of winning it this time around.

Next up, I have to talk about the biggest travesty that occurred at this past Oscar ceremony. And that was Ariana Grande-Butera not being awarded the Best Supporting Actress for her role as Galinda "Glinda" Upland / Glinda the Good. In my review of her performance in the first film, I noted her impeccable comedic timing and operatic vocals that left me stunned. Don't you worry, there is more of that in this film and so much more. Grande has a lot more heavy-lifting to do this time around, and she pulls it off with utter brilliance. Comedic timing is still on point, the emotional weight she carries makes this character so much more compelling, and those pipes are legendary. I hope the Academy rectifies their error this time around and does the right thing, or else they better start counting their days, because I cannot see anyone else winning Supporting Actress this time around.

Now, we have to talk about the performance of someone I did not think would be able to bring it, but he damn sure brought it all. And that is Ethan Slater. Slater's biggest role to date was playing SpongeBob on Broadway, a role I could not possibly imagine any other sane person taking on. But he did it and it seems as if he did a fine enough job. But his role in this film as Boq Woodsman completely eclipses anything he did in the first film. He delivers an all-time performance with such rage and such a fire that he actually came off as intimidating whenever he was on screen (which admittedly was not a lot), but he knew how to make each moment count whenever he appeared. I know he will not get an Oscar nomination in a stacked field, but he should get some attention.

Now, I have to get into the music of the film, because this is going to contribute greatly to the Oscar campaign in my estimation. I will do exactly what I did with the first film and talk about each song individually. The introductory song, "Every Day More Wicked" perfectly sets the stage for the events that follow with some clever callbacks to the first film's soundtrack. "Thank Goodness/I Couldn't be Happier" sees Ariana Grande showing off her beautiful vocals while her character Glinda does not believe any of the words she is saying. The new track "No Place Like Home" becomes sort of an anthem for those who wish to change their current situation and fight to make it better. "The Wicked Witch of the East" features some lovely singing for Marissa Bode, but exists only to push the story forward. "Wonderful" gives Jeff Goldblum a vehicle to warm up his vocals while making some beautiful harmonies with Grande, while she also gets to do that in "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)."

"As Long As You're Mine" sees Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo perform a beautiful duet on arguably the best song on the soundtrack. "No Good Deed" sees Erivo exceed her capabilities from "Defying Gravity" and deliver one of the best vocals I have ever heard. "March of the Witch Hunters" becomes the star-making vessel for Ethan Slater, as he gives a rage-filled performance for the ages. New song "The Girl in the Bubble" allows Grande to get another career-defining moment in what should get her another Oscar nomination. "For Good" is a beautiful duet between Grande and Erivo that highlights the importance of friendship and relationship, while "A Wicked Good Finale" brings this odyssey to an emotional end in beauty. I definitely think at least one of those new songs is getting a Best Original Song nomination at the Oscars, and I hope they do because I love them.

Finally, I want to talk about the themes of this film because not only do they tie hand-in-hand with the other film, but they do that with our reality as well. One of the main things that really stood out to me about both films is how a society is shaped by propaganda and lies, and that they will believe any story that they are told. Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox do a great job of capturing that sort-of "hive mentality" where everyone is quick to believe any story the people in charge make up in the script of this film. I particularly want to praise the "No Place Like Home" number in which Elphaba decides to stand her ground and fight for a place that does not love her back. Some people have used it to talk about our current political situation here in the United States, and that this is the most patriotic people have felt since this authoritarian regime began. Seeing that analysis definitely reshaped my view of the film and shed a brand new light on things for me.

In conclusion, Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part story in a dramatic, emotional, and bombastic fashion, anchored by stellar performances and music. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.