Editor’s Note: This review contains light spoilers for “Wicked: For Good”
After its much anticipated release, “Wicked: For Good” finally arrived in theaters on November 21, 2025. This film is the continuation of 2024’s “Wicked”, which is an adaptation of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz. The first film adapts Act One, and “For Good” adapts Act Two.
In “Wicked: For Good”, the journey into Oz continues. The film picks up several years after the first left off, with Elphaba being wrongfully feared across the land as the “Wicked Witch of the West.”
This movie follows as Elphaba has to navigate the consequences of her choice to oppose the Wizard, all while staying true to her core values. Meanwhile, Glinda (now “Glinda the Good”) is stepping into a larger public role and becoming the face of “good” in Oz. As tensions rise, both women are drawn into tough decisions that will shape the future of their friendship and of Oz.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is the production quality. The budget was definitely put to use in this film. The visuals, costuming and set design were very visually appealing. One scene that specifically stood out was Glinda’s wedding. This movie definitely built up the world of Oz more than the first, which I enjoyed!
Ariana Grande’s acting in this movie was incredible and her tone fits so well for the role of Glinda. Cynthia Erivo sounds better than ever in this film, especially in “No Good Deed” (my favorite song from the movie).
Jonathan Bailey also blew me away in this film. This man is the whole package with his vocal talent, looks and acting ability. One specific scene that impressed me was when he is trying to save Elphaba and holds a gun on Glinda. This scene was just amazing and had me on the edge of my seat with his and Ariana’s performance. I also have to give a shoutout to Ethan Slater, who did particularly well when he became the Tin Man. His emotion and anger was so on-point and really added depth to his character.
Marissa Bode also did well in her role as Nessarose. You know an actress/actor has successfully done their job when you hate a character so much, which is how I feel with Marissa. Between her terrible hairstyle, jealousy over Boq, blaming Elphaba for HER OWN problems and trapping the Munchkins. Nessarose somehow managed to become worse than she was in the first film.
Nessarose and the Cowardly Lion were definitely the two characters I hated most in this movie.
However, all performances were not equal. Michelle Yeoh is an amazing actress, but she cannot sing. When put into a cast with so many vocally talented people, in constant comparison with Grande and Erivo, the difference in their abilities was painfully obvious. I also did not believe Jeff Goldblum, while an incredible Wizard of Oz, was not much better. Both are phenomenal actors, but vocally, they did not keep up with the powerhouse cast around them.
One of my favorite parts of the film is how deeply it explored the origins of the characters. In particular, “Wicked: For Good” explores how Glinda has always wished she was magical since she was a child. In contrast, Elphaba never wanted magic powers, yet was burdened with power. I feel like this adds necessary depth to the film and their stories as characters.
I also enjoyed how the ending of this movie mirrors the opening of the first film, bringing the story full circle.
This film was very fast-paced and, though I know the movie is already quite long, I wish some parts were more detailed and deeply explored. At times, it felt as if the film jumped too quickly from plot-point to plot-point. I was also continuously frustrated by Glinda constantly taking the Wizard’s side and justifying his behavior just because he’s powerful, though I know this is important for her character development.
This development is most prominently shown at the end, when Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and said, “Make something up. You’re good at that.” I must say, watching Morrible and the Wizard get the ending they deserved was incredibly satisfying.
Though the songs in this film were good, the soundtrack of the first film was still superior. No Good Deed is the only song on this soundtrack that even comes close to comparing to any of the songs on the first movie’s soundtrack.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Wicked: For Good” and would recommend this film. I liked the plot of this part more than the first and this sequel definitely delivered the emotional depth and character development I was hoping for. Though the songs were not as good, this part is still my favorite!
However, all-in-all, I give “Wicked: For Good” an enthusiastic 5/5.
