Wicked, a musical directed, produced, and screenwritten by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda/Glinda. Wicked is a beautifully done screen adaptation of the popular broadway play Wicked. Chu brought the play to life and really expanded on the potential of the production.
Wicked is inspired by the 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz written by L, Frank Baum. It makes its own interpretation of the past between the good witch Glinda, and the Evil witch, Elphaba. Wicked explores the backstory of both characters but mainly takes place in their school, they are roommates and hate each other at first but learn to form a beautiful friendship.
The set design was one of the most notable aspects of the film, and surprisingly most of them were practical sets. The sets allowed them to create a very immersive and extravagant world. I would go to say that the Wicked Set is a close contender to the original set of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The school they attended was beautifully made down to every last detail. It had an amazing architectural design and was surrounded by beautiful, extravagant greenery. This immersive set really brings the viewer into the world of Oz allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the experience. The set design kept elements from the original Wizard of Oz movie although it has many more modern elements.
What really gave this film its spark is the performance by Erivo and Grande. They fully immersed themselves in their characters. These actors paid attention to every little detail throughout the movie. They both are very talented singers and did not hold back. Erivo was not a known singer to me until this movie however she made a lasting impression. The vocals on “Defying Gravity” really stood out to me, they were extremely powerful and really captured the broadway musical feel. Grande captured so much emotion in every song and line she delivered, she was born to play Galinda and made the character her own while still honoring the original production.
Wicked truly captures the beauty, pain, loss, and joy in friendship. The progression of Elphaba and Galinda’s friendship is captured in an excellent way. Wicked shows the sacrifices you may need to make to have a true friendship. The relationship between these characters also serves as a much needed break from the intense themes of the movie creating a lighter and more joyful atmosphere.
I really enjoyed the plot and storytelling, and I’m looking forward to part two. The film is split up into act 1 and act 2, act 2 is officially coming to theaters on Nov. 21, 2025. Act 1 was around three hours long so going to see it in theaters is a commitment, and time consuming. I enjoyed Wicked so the time flew by. I would say that it’s definitely worth your time, if you enjoy musicals and musical theater, or just movies in general. Overall, I would rate Wicked a 4.5 out of 5.
