The continuation of the highest grossing Broadway musical movie adaptation ever was officially released on November 21, 2025, “Wicked: For Good.” The second movie serves as closure for those who were infatuated with the first part, simply titled “Wicked,” though it may tear more holes in one’s heart rather than patching the year-old ones. “Wicked: For Good” comprises a story of loss, equality, and morality into a single film, all wrapped up in a pink and green bow.
The movie begins roughly five years after Elphaba and Glinda were last seen defying gravity in Part One. Elphaba has been ostracized from Oz and wears the label of the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ while Glinda is a heroine in the eyes of all Ozians. There is a discernible ache in the viewers chest whilst watching the two best friends be unwillingly estranged from one another.
The lovable dynamic between the two girls that was set up in Part One has been ripped from the viewer, forcing the viewer to watch as Elphaba’s life is upended. The song, “Everyday More Wicked,” truly captures the situation Elphaba has been handed. The lyrics, “Seeking out new victims she can hurt” and “Defaming our poor wizard” encapsulate the fear and propaganda that has been fed to Oz by Madame Morrible. Glinda has been forced to swallow the rumors and live amongst them, unless she too wants to end up shunned. Glinda’s “Thank Goodness” exemplifies the mask that she is obligated to wear, allowing her fellow Ozians to speak ill-naturedly of her best friend while she acts as if her life was a “fairy-tale plot.”
There is a less musical-esque feel to “Wicked: For Good” in comparison to Part One. The songs appear to be more spaced out, though the movie is significantly shorter than it’s predecessor. The exciting feeling of theater is lacking, partially due to the unfavorable conditions Elphaba was left to endure at the end of Part One. The humor is more or less absent. “Wicked: For Good” resembles a more typical movie rather than a musical adaptation. Still, avid musical enjoyers can appreciate this film, even if it does lack that hearty feel of Part One.
The ‘pink-versus-green’ symbolism that is prevalent in the first movie has been alchemized into a ‘good-versus-evil’ representation in the second movie. Green insinuates and evokes trepidation within Ozians as the connotation of green is in regards to the ‘Wicked Witch of the West,’ courtesy of Madame Morrible. Though, the stress that Ozians feel around the color green is dramatically ironic as the Ozians live in an ‘Emerald City.’ The public refuses to make the connection that the true wickedness is within their own green rather than their scapegoat, Elphaba. Ozians have been so deceived by the wizard that they can not associate their green wizard in the way in which they associate their green witch.
Elphaba’s “No Good Deed” is debatably on par with her earlier song, “Defying Gravity.” “No Good Deed” is spine tingling, hair raising, and stunning to watch as Elphaba desperately pleads for her lover’s life, not giving a second thought as to the repercussions of the unrecognizable spell in which she is chanting so that her lover is exposed to no harm. “No Good Deed” is raw and unabridged. If the viewer had previous doubts as to Elphaba’s devotion to her lover earlier in the movie, those uncertainties were washed away the second Elphaba began to read from the Grimmerie.
The movie adhered closely to the original Broadway play. However, two additional songs were added in: “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” “No Place like Home” is sung by Elphaba while “The Girl in the Bubble” is sung by Glinda, further maturing the character development of the two girls. “The Girl in the Bubble” is particularly salient as it is the turning point that leads Glinda to make a dire decision to act on morals rather than her own desire. The insertion of two ancillary songs was a risk due to the fact that die-hard “Wicked” fans may dissent the decision to alter the original musical. Nevertheless, the risk was successful. The new songs could easily become fan favorites and are not less well-developed in comparison to the original soundtrack.
“Wicked: For Good” is heartbreaking in all of the right ways. There are points throughout the movie where the viewers can laugh, points where they can cry, and points where they can throw their popcorn at the screen and boo at certain characters. A respectable movie has the ability to take it’s viewers on a journey and expose them to emotions they may not have felt before. That is exactly what “Wicked: For Good” did. The several years and long hours it took to create this movie is not to be missed while watching. The emotional connection between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s characters transcends an onscreen relationship. “Wicked: For Good” leaves a lasting impression on all those who watch due to the emotional whirlwind in which an audience is subject to along with the fact that viewers will not be able to stop themselves from humming the catchy tunes from the film weeks after watching.
