Wicked: For Good

It doesn’t feel like it’s been a clock-tick since the first Wicked film reigned supreme over the box office and cinema listings, yet here we are with a superbly realised sequel (although this feels more like a continuation) that gets deeper and darker into the stories from the land of Oz and is likely to be a behemoth to contend with for 2025’s biggest film.

SPOILER WARNING

Following the conclusion of Wicked (2024), the powerful witch Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is now public enemy number one across the land, fighting a losing battle for hearts and minds to try and convince Oz’s population that the “Wonderful Wizard” (Jeff Goldblum) is actually a lying trickster. Her efforts to free persecuted animals and reveal the ingrained deception of Oz’s most powerful get skillfully skewed by Madame Horrible (Michelle Yeoh) and those in charge, leading to widespread fearmongering and propaganda to create a villain that unites everyone against Elphaba.

Our emerald green heroine is not completely alone, however, with her ex-schoolmate Glinda (Ariana Grande) trying desperately to placate both sides and bring Elphaba back into the fold, whilst also developing her own cult following as a magical, bubble-riding witch (one that sadly can’t do any magic).

SPOILER FREE FROM HERE

To say it’s mostly more of the same feels disrespectful to Wicked: For Good, however, this is meant as a feel-good compliment. This second instalment carries across the same gorgeous aesthetics, captivating performances, and vivid cinematography that make it an absolute cinematic must-see for 2025 (and 2026 most likely).

The storyline gets deeper and darker, and there are some excellent moments where the original Wizard of Oz characters get woven in and out of this tale, which are handled expertly. The sublime choreography of the dance sequences pays great tribute to Wicked’s origins as a popular stage musical, and the songs here are just as good as the first movie. The costume design is also the best of the year - an insanely talented team here.

Ariane Grande’s comic timing is just as appealing as her incredible voice, and it’s a shame in the sequel, we get less of it. A standout scene where she mocks Elphaba’s newfound cackle elicited uproarious laughter in the screening I attended. She also enhances many of the musical numbers where the counterpart is maybe lacking, looking at you, Goldblum and Yeoh.

Cynthia Erivo is the beating heart of this film, masterfully balancing the need for drama, romance, spectacle, tension and comedy (sometimes all in one scene).

There are several moments within Wicked: For Good where sleight of hand gets applied, and characters are magically transported - a particularly great scene involves Glinda and some mirrors, which was really impressive to see realised onscreen. It’s a shame some of the CGI animals and backdrops weren’t as arresting, but viewers who didn’t have a problem with the first film will certainly be engaged in the second.

By exploring themes of a post-truth world, this second entry feels far more potent than the first (which was more of a teen high-school movie at times). There’s a political activism in Wicked: For Good that allows the film to feel heartier, somewhat more noble. Combine this with the simply outstanding fantasy world that’s been created and the incredible lead actresses, and it’s a crying shame we can’t click our heels three times and get a third movie out of this truly epic cinematic duology.