Wicked: For Good (2025) [Film Review] — a darker, more affecting second act that still dazzles

Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good (aka Wicked: Part Two) completes the cinematic retelling of the Broadway phenomenon with a tone that’s noticeably heavier than the first installment. While a few of the big numbers don’t stick in the head like some earlier showtunes, the movie finds its power in the raw emotional core — the splintering friendship between Elphaba and Glinda — and the two leads deliver performances that justify every dramatic choice.

Direction and Production Values

Chu keeps the film visually lavish and confident in scale. The phenomenal production design by Nathan Crowley and Paul Tazewell (both returning Oscar winners) continues to be a highlight: set pieces and costumes remain sumptuous, and the world-building of Oz is lavishly realized even as the story darkens. Alice Brooks’ fluid cinematography provides inventive camera movement, especially during the film’s more intimate and set-piece musical moments, maintaining the spectacle without losing emotional intimacy.

Performances and Chemistry

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande anchor the movie with magnetic, layered turns. Erivo’s command and Grande’s comic-dramatic range create a combustible chemistry; the quiet exchanges and charged looks between them are often more persuasive than exposition. Jeff Goldblum gives an entertainingly slick turn as the Wizard, and Michelle Yeoh brings gravitas as Madame Morrible. Jonathan Bailey’s Prince Fiyero is underused—his scenes hint at more musical and emotional range than the script allows—while Colman Domingo’s brief casting as the Cowardly Lion feels like unrealized potential.

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Score, Songs, and Musical Moments

Stephen Schwartz and the songwriting team deliver moments of genuine theatricality. The film may not be packed with instantly hummable earworms, but it soars where it matters. Erivo’s showstopper (the film’s emotional fulcrum) is a vocal and visual knockout — a showcase for both her voice and Chu’s flair for cinematic musical staging. Grande’s solo gives her dramatic space to dig into character, aided by long, elegant camera moves that accentuate performance over pyrotechnics. John Powell’s deeper, more somber scoring underpins the film’s darker mood, helping the narrative land with weight.

Characters and Storytelling

Because the first movie laid such convincing groundwork, the betrayal and fracture of the central friendship here hit with greater consequence. The film spends time weaving in familiar Wizard of Oz elements and fan-pleasing cameos, which will thrill lore-savvy viewers, though some supporting cast moments feel shortchanged. The screenplay leans into contemporary resonances—watching a populace fall under a charismatic, authoritarian figure lands differently today—and flashbacks offer new color to Glinda’s origins, illuminating how performance and persona have shaped her choices.

Strengths and Shortcomings

The film’s biggest strength is its emotional honesty: performances create small, indelible moments that linger. Production craft rarely skates by; design, costumes, and set pieces remain excellent. On the flip side, the movie’s darker consistency can blunt some of the buoyancy that made the first half so surprising, and a few supporting players are given little to do. Die-hard musical fans will find the payoff rewarding; casual viewers might wish for a few more instantly memorable melodies.

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Verdict

Wicked: For Good succeeds because it trusts its leads and embraces the consequences of the first film. It’s a darker, more earnest second half that refuses to trade feeling for spectacle — although it keeps the spectacle well within reach. If you came for the world of Oz and stayed for the relationship at the heart of the story, this finale will likely move you. Pack tissues and watch it on the biggest screen you can — the emotional duet that closes the film is the kind of scene that lingers long after the curtain falls.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10