Wicked for Good Review: A Dazzling, Emotional Triumph That Surpasses the Original

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Wicked for Good

Directed by John M. Chu

Written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox

Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh

Release Date November 21st, 2025

A Sequel With an Impossible Standard — And a Surprising Triumph

Wicked for Good had a steep hill to climb. Wicked, with its emotional high of Defying Gravity, seemed impossible to top. I expected a satisfying continuation; I did not expect a sequel that would surpass the original in emotional impact and narrative depth. Yet here we are.

Jon M. Chu returns to Oz with a steadier hand, a stronger sense of character, and an even more sweeping emotional arc. Writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox craft a story that understands the weight of friendship, loyalty, and the complicated ways love can reshape our lives. Wicked for Good is another rollercoaster — but one with higher stakes, richer themes, and a far more confident command of the world.

The Wizard’s War and the Dividing of Oz

As the sequel opens, the Wizard’s propaganda machine is in full force. His campaign to turn Elphaba into a monstrous villain has succeeded beyond measure. Her public image only worsens when she disrupts construction on the new Yellow Brick Road to rescue tortured animals used in the project. We know she’s acting out of compassion; Oz only sees danger.

Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) becomes the centerpiece of the Wizard’s counter-campaign. With assistance from Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) transforms Glinda into a floating-symbol-of-goodness, complete with a magical bubble as transportation. Her newfound celebrity comes with a politically advantageous engagement to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), now promoted to head of the Oz guard — and ordered to capture Elphaba.

The conflict deepens when the truth emerges: Fiyero has grown close to Elphaba and is torn between duty, love, and the mythmaking consuming Oz.

A Cyclone, a House, and the Story Behind the Story

Chaos erupts when a cyclone drops a house from Kansas onto Elphaba’s sister, Nessa (Marissa Bode). Her tragedy is intertwined with Bock (Ethan Slater), whose heartbreak-and-curse transformation into a tin man echoes the legends we know — though here it’s Elphaba who takes the blame.

And yes, that house carries Dorothy Gale and her dog. But Wicked for Good cleverly keeps the 1939 storyline in the background, weaving through Oz as a parallel thread. The Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) and the Scarecrow both appear in revised yet meaningful ways, connecting Elphaba to the future travelers of the Yellow Brick Road.

Music That Soars Even Higher Than Before

The music of Wicked for Good is where the film reaches its emotional pinnacle.

“For Good” remains the showstopper — sweeping, operatic, and breathtaking in its emotional clarity. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande bring the house down, their voices rising in harmony, their performances layered with tears and tenderness. It’s the scene that broke me.

Erivo’s No Good Deed is a raw, powerhouse moment that redefines her character’s internal storm. Grande’s I Couldn’t Be Happier is a delicate contradiction — sweetness tinged with heartbreak, as Glinda questions her public role versus the woman she wants to be.

And then there’s “Wonderful”, featuring Erivo, Grande, and Jeff Goldblum in peak charismatic form. It’s joyful, buoyant, and destined to be a fan favorite, even if it’s thematically lighter than the rest.

A Visual Masterwork That Evokes Cinema History

Once again, the production design, costumes, and cinematography dazzle. But here, Chu’s approach feels more mature. In Wicked, it sometimes felt like he favored spectacle over character. In Wicked for Good, those elements work in harmony — lush, purposeful, emotionally guided.

The film’s aesthetic recalls the bold color and operatic beauty of The Archers — Powell and Pressburger’s The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann feel like spiritual ancestors. There are sequences, especially during I’m Not That Girl and Girl in the Bubble, that channel that era’s dreamlike textures.

One standout scene follows Glinda through her mirrored, palace-like bedroom. With seamless cuts and fluid camera movements, Chu turns it into a kaleidoscope of emotional revelation, while Grande glides through the frame with precision and grace. For me, it surpasses her Popular performance in the first film — the very performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination.

A Dazzling Contender for Best Picture

Wicked for Good may not be my personal favorite film of 2025, but it feels like the year’s strongest consensus contender — the kind of crowd-pleasing, emotionally satisfying spectacle that Oscar voters love. If we must agree on a blockbuster for Best Picture, let it be this one.

Vibrant, heartfelt, beautifully performed, and visually ravishing, Wicked for Good celebrates the people who change us “for good.” And if this is the film that unites audiences and awards voters alike, we could do far worse.

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