Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?
This iconic line from Glinda the Good Witch sets the stage for the Wicked for Good movie as it explores the balance between good and evil.
After a year of waiting, this fantasy musical took over theaters on Nov. 21, 2025. Taking place in the land of Oz before the infamous Wizard of Oz movie, it follows the origin story of the so-called Wicked Witch of the West.
The first Wicked movie came out on Nov. 22, 2024, and left us wondering what was to come next. For some backstory, this movie stars Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba the Wicked Witch. When these two meet, they are two total opposites who become best friends at a school called Shiz, bonding over their differences. At the end of the movie, Elphaba is determined to prove the Wizard is a fraud and fabricates lies to maintain control over the people of Oz. She is then seen flying away from Oz on her broomstick, leaving everyone wondering what happens next.
The Wicked for Good movie follows this and does provide us with clarity on what happens next in the story. The original Wicked is steady-paced and is well known for its iconic musical performances. However, this follow-up movie has a much deeper meaning behind it. Wicked for Good explores themes of perception vs. reality, corruption, propaganda, true friendship, and finding your own definition of “good”. This being said, it slightly lacks in the musical part. Some fans state that while the songs are strong, they seem out of place in some parts of the movie and don’t really add anything to the plot.
Wicked for Good performed very well at the box office, exceeding expectations with a massive $226 million global opening weekend and quickly crossed $450 million worldwide. Making it one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.
It earned an “A” CinemaScore and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter. While visually impressive and well-acted, it receives mixed reviews. It has been praised for its emotional finale, music, and performances. However, some critics claimed it lacked the narrative strength of Part One, expressing that it felt somewhat hollow or over-serious. It has been noted to have a pacing issue, some claiming the plot moves too quickly, and that many details were skipped over.
Overall, the movie was strong and fairly entertaining to watch. However, it’s not one I would re-watch multiple times. Especially after the anticipation built up from the first movie. If you were a huge fan of Wicked, I would recommend watching this movie to further understand the plot, but don’t expect it to top the original Wicked.
