Last year, we had the first part of an epic musical adaptation of Wicked, the hugely successful Broadway and West End hit. Now we have the sequel, Wicked: For Good, or as it should be called, Wicked Act Two, for this is precisely what it is. The first film was predominantly the first act, with it ending with the showstopping Defying Gravity. Now we have the conclusion of the tale of the two witches from the land of Oz, and unlike the first part, this is a much darker and less flashy finale.

Elphaba has been set up as the Wicked Witch of the West by the headmistress, Madame Morrible, and the Wizard of Oz. Out to stop their plans to segregate the animals from the humans and to prove that the Wizard is lying to the people of Oz, Elphaba has been portrayed as a villain. In contrast, Glinda has been made a figurehead of goodness, but in her heart, she knows that Elphaba is not evil.

Filmed at the same time as the original, this follows the same traits as the first film, with the story this time less about flashy, impressive set pieces and more about the characters. Director Jon M. Chu has decided to make a much leaner film: the first ran at 160 minutes; this one, at 137 minutes. Having said that, to appreciate the whole story, you’d need to watch both films back to back, as there are some grey areas if you haven’t recapped before seeing this new film.

While Wicked was a much jollier affair, even with its numerous subplots of love and friendship and the discovery that the Wizard is not who he seems, this one digs deeper into the politics of the land of Oz, and this is one thing that weighs the film down a little. It is definitely trying to make a point about segregation, fake news, and how power corrupts; it also has to involve the arrival of Dorothy and the characters we have come to recognise from The Wizard of Oz.

With a darker context, the musical numbers are not as memorable as before, with two standouts: the No Good Deeds number, in which Elphaba surrounds herself with the flying monkeys, and For Good, a lovely duet between Elphaba and Glinda. However, the sound seemed a little off during the huge chorus numbers, making it hard to hear the words, as the orchestration overpowered the voices.

The neat twists of the character origin tales we recognise from the 1938 movie make for an inventive, if slightly baffling, reinvention of the story, as does the ending, but I won’t spoil it. The production values are just as impressive as the costumes and attention to detail, especially in the Wizard’s world, and Glinda’s flying bubble does bring a smile.

The performances are just as impressive as previously. Recently voted sexiest man alive, Jonathan Bailey isn’t given as much to do this time, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible falls into the same category of levels of singing ability as Pierce Brosnan from Mamma Mia. Jeff Goldblum was born to play The Wizard, and he gets a fun number to perform, which he doesn’t disappoint.

Returning as Elphaba and Glinda, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have grown into the roles. Erivo is a powerhouse of a vocalist and brings heart to the character, while Grande has dropped the dippiness and grown into a much more intense good witch, pulled by the events around her. It’s a real contrast from her original creation, and it works well.

Wicked: For Good is a solid ending to the show, and fans of the original will not be disappointed. Don’t even try to watch this without watching the first film; otherwise, you will just be confused throughout, and there is no recap. From the audience’s reaction, they loved it, applauding at the end. It’s good, but don’t expect all happy, clappy stuff this time.

4 out of 5

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Colman Domingo, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, Keala Settle

Written by: Dana Fox, (also based on the book) Winnie Holzman, (based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics) Stephen Schwartz, (based on the novel) Gregory Maguire and (based on the characters created) L. Frank Baum

Running Time: 137 mins

Cert: PG

Release date: 21st November 2025