Name: Wicked: For Good
Genre: Family, Fantasy, Musical
Released: 2025-11-21
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Adam James, Jonathan Bailey

The sequel in the two-part feature film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical follows Elphaba’s transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West and her complex bond with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

Wicked: For Good

Times of India

The Indian Express

A bright yellow brick road being laid, animals being exploited by Oz’s forces, and the Wicked Witch of the West swooping in to save them makes for a striking opening and sets the tone for the film. Elphaba, now demonised, fights a lonely battle to expose the Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a fraud with no real powers. Her efforts are quickly thwarted by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard, who push Glinda the Good to spread messages of positivity while maintaining the illusion of harmony in the land. This forms the crux of the story, but the narrative branches into several subplots — including Elphaba’s estranged sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) becoming the governor of Munchkinland, her complicated dynamic with Boq, and how an unexpected accident triggers a series of events that ultimately forces Elphaba and Glinda to confront each other once again.
Director Jon M Chu’s film is rich in its storyline and has several dramatic arcs. Visually, it is striking, especially the contrast between Elphaba’s dark and intense forest hideouts and Glinda’s shiny, pastel-washed Emerald castle. The CGI-generated creatures, from the flying monkeys to the early forms of characters like the Tin Man, add flair, while detailed set pieces such as Emerald City, Kiamo Ko castle, and Elphaba’s refuge lend the film a sense of scale. The commentary remains compelling as it touches on themes of exploitation, the manipulation of public perception, the pressure to maintain appearances, and how insecurities can transform people. However, the loose narrative and uneven direction sometimes struggle to create a consistently spellbinding experience. Many musical numbers fail to leave a mark, with the exceptions being No Good Deed, As Long as You’re Mine, and the emotional For Good.
Cynthia Erivo is the undisputed standout, embodying the strength and integrity of the Wicked Witch of the West with remarkable depth. She shines in every scene, whether confrontational, gentle, romantic, or fiery. Ariana Grande, as Glinda — friend, rival, and friend again — delivers a spirited performance, balancing the character’s charm, vulnerability, and quiet ambition. Their chemistry is a highlight, lighting up everything from the playful duel sequence to the soaring finale where they reaffirm their bond.
Characterisation remains one of the film’s strongest aspects, with Michelle Yeoh compelling as the calculating Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey confident as Fiyero, and Marissa Bode and Jeff Goldblum delivering impactful performances.
Wicked: For Good is a one-time watch for its visually stunning and captivating moments, though the film’s uneven pacing and monotony hold it back from soaring as high as it aims.

More sure-footed than the first Wicked, this second part neatly wraps up the story of Glinda the Good (Grande), Wicked Witch of the West (Erivo) and the Land of Oz in a way that seems as grounded in fairytale as in reality.

Based on a musical running for 20 years, Wicked: For Good is valiant — and impressive — in its exploration of goodness and wickedness, how one feeds on the other, and also, the meaning of truth and if anybody wants it. The fact that some of those arguments are made in song takes little away from the soundness of them, though a few less songs would not have hurt.

That would have also kept the film, already overblown because of its flimsier first part, manageably short. As it is, while there are many moments where Grande and Arivo, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, seize your attention, For Good also tends to meander.

It begins with Elphaba or the Wicked Witch of the West living hidden in the forest, being chased by all of Oz, even as Glinda is finding her satin-slippered feet as the flouncy-gowned, pink bubble-inhabiting, shiny glass wand-bearing good girl of Oz whom everyone loves.
Grande is effective in conveying the girl who has finally got all that her child and teen self always wanted, but whose head lies uneasy under the “good” crown’s emptiness.

Some of it is due to the fact that, unlike the myth weaved by Madame Morrible (Yeoh) — the Oz’s ‘Press Secretary’ — Glinda has little, including magic, going for her other than her beauty. A lot has to do with the fact that she knows Elphaba is not bad, and the Wizard not all that good — and she must ignore all this to live her dream.

Yeoh is all sweet sorcery and malicious magic, and Bailey as the love interest of both Glinda and Elphaba is a pleasing if unnecessary second fiddle (which is great for a film essentially about two women, who don’t need anyone other).
As those two women, Grande and Erivo pull off their pas de deux with elan. Grande is more assured this time and Erivo, who carried the first film, matures wonderfully as a person who has all her life been misunderstood. The rest of Wizard of Oz’s characters, The Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy and Toto, are rolled out in quick, and rather economical, succession.
That pace would have been good for Grande and Erivo too, but the film directed by Jon M Chu is too reluctant to let them go.

If the two are upstaged, at any time, it is by Goldblum, who is dazzling as the “fake, hokum” ‘His Ozness’ Wizard, a rich old man with ostentatious taste and a good head of hair, who sings to the world: “The truth is not a fact or reason / The truth is just what everyone agrees on… It’s all in which label is able to persist.”


Cynthia Erivo is an English actress and singer. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album

Cynthia Erivo

Jeff Goldblum is a critically acclaimed American actor who has been constantly receiving prestigious award nominations throughout his career. Known for starring in some of the highest-grossing movies, Goldblum began his acting career on the New York stage. He went on to work with some of the most celebrated filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Wes Anderson, mostly playing intellectual and eccentric characters. Having made his debut with the 1974 vigilante-action film Death Wish, Goldblum most memorable roles have been in films like Independence Day and the Jurassic Park series.

Jeff Goldblum

Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range and her signature use of the whistle register.

Ariana Grande

Adam James

Jonathan Bailey

Bowen Yang

Marissa Bode

Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian actress known for performing her own stunts in films. She rose to prominence after starring in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the martial arts film Crouching Tiger. Also credited as Michelle Khan in some of her films, Yeoh is a recipient of several awards and accolades for her performances. She is also won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant after a brief career in dance. She has her own production company, Mythical Films.

Wicked: For Good(2025)