Wicked: For Good review: Why Cynthia Erivo's spellbinding performance demands an Oscar

Wicked: For Good is finally here and these are the spellbinding moments that left us feeling completely obsessulated! Spoilers ahead!

November 19, 2025Nov 19, 2025, 1:41 PM GMT

What's new in Oz?

From the moment the film starts, the screen bursts into life with a killer opening number, Every Day More Wicked, which is an extended and reimagined version of Thank Goodness, the original opening number of Act II in the musical. The number perfectly sets up the new world order from where we left off. Glinda Upland, played by Ariana Grande, is now Glinda the Good, who not only comes complete with her own fake magical bubble, but is also in pride of place at the heart of the Emerald City, which is completely decked out in pink and green, including posters denoting the mission to hunt Elphaba. At the helm of the "hunt" is Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, who has become the Captain of the Wizard's Guard. Meanwhile, Madam Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh, is now the Wizard's Press Secretary, a propaganda minister to manipulate public opinion about Elphaba.

A photo of Ariana Grande in Wicked — Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked: For Good

The film does well to immediately plunge us into the distinct paradox between Glinda's 'picture-perfect' life in the Emerald City, at the centre of which is nothing but hate at the hands of the Wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum, and Elphaba's cosy tree house, where she has taken refuge outside of the city, and where she has made it her mission to save the animals from a terrible fate.

Verdict on the new songs

Cynthia performs new song No Place Like Home in Wicked: For Good

As well as the aforementioned opening number, there are two additional new songs in the film that don't feature in the musical, which were all written by Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical. The first is called No Place Like Home, where Elphaba, channelling her best Enjolras from Les Miserablés, attempts to rally up the animals to fight the Wizard with her. This moment also sees the surprise return of the beloved Dulcibear… a tear was shed. This is also where we first see Colman Domingo appear as the cowardly lion. No Place Like Home certainly serves a distinct purpose, fundamentally tidying up part of the plot that may be clunky to portray on screen by traditional means, and, despite being new, provides a lovely, familiar-feeling call-back to the show's Wizard of Oz origins.

Ariana truly channels her inner Disney princess in the second film, particularly when performing her new song The Girl in the Bubble

The second song is Ariana's 11 o'clock number (Cynthia has her own in No Good Deed, but more on that later), and it's called The Girl in the Bubble. Throughout the second film, Ariana is in full Disney Princess mode; her hair is longer, she swans around her illustrious pink dressing room in lavish ball gowns and she marries Fiyero (aka the recently-crowned Sexiest Man Alive, Jonathan Bailey) in a fairytale wedding to end all weddings, but, The Girl in the Bubble is where we see her decide to sacrifice the things which she has always dreamed of, to go and fight for Elphaba. It's an emotional ballad, its intent summarised when she sings: "Maybe it's time for her bubble to finally pop." The song is true in style to the show, but we certainly hear a few more Ariana-isms than we have done up until this point. However, the actress-cum-pop star doesn't forget to show off her more recently perfected top soprano range in the number, as well as her emotional range, the song, leaving her sprawled on a giant staircase in tears.

Oscar-worthy moments

Like me, you may be one of the bucket-loads of people astounded that neither Cynthia nor Ariana won Oscars for their performances in Wicked: Part 1. Many thought it was because Part 2 was yet to be released, but I think it's fair to say Cynthia deserved to be recognised for belting an E6 live while flying through the air. While their Oscars fate remains unclear, these are the moments in Part 2 which, in my very humble opinion, are Oscar-worthy.

A photo of Cynthia Erivo flying on a broomstick — Cynthia's performance of No Good Deed was every bit as wonderful as you would imagine

Number one has to be Cynthia's performance of No Good Deed, as if we expected anything less! No Good Deed, as previously mentioned, is Cynthia's 11 o'clock number, and is one of, if not the stand-out moment from the second film. The song is the perfect melting pot of Cynthia's usual impressive vocals and broomstick antics, complete with her ensemble of flying monkeys. The specific Oscar-winning moment for me is when she belts Fiyero's name, which is a moment often heavily scrutinised by musical theatre fans. It was even better than I ever imagined, Cynthia giving the moment the gravitas it deserved by dramatically dropping to her knees with tears in her eyes while belting the iconic riff.

A photo of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo holding hands on a broomstick — Cynthia and Ariana's chemistry on screen is Oscar-worthy

For Good, the number featured in the title of the new movie, is also an obvious stand-out moment in the film, and arguably the most highly anticipated, set away from the pomp and circumstance of the Emerald City, in a quiet tower of Kiamo Ko, Fiyero's parents' castle. Cynthia and Ariana's performance of the song is stripped back, incredibly tearful and raw. In terms of their vocal choices, there is not a belt in sight; the pair decides to keep their vocals mixed throughout, creating a perfect soft blend. One thing I couldn't help but notice throughout the film was how, at times, the pair sounded like each other in their solo moments, particularly Ariana sounding a lot like Cynthia when she sings Couldn't Be Happier at the beginning of the film.

Dorothy who?

After the rumour mill spinning faster than Madam Morrible's infamous tornado, we finally have our answers, thank Oz, as to who Dorothy is. The speculation that Dorothy's role is anything more than what we see in the musical is false. We never see her face, the closest we get is a side profile, but while fans wanted to see an A-list cameo, with Taylor Swift's name even being thrown into the conversation, it was actress, Bethany Weaver. It's worth noting that in this case, Dorothy could, have quite literally been anyone, the most we see is her with her fellow fab four, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, skipping in to face the Wizard of Oz, but, again, it's all shot from behind.

Cynthia and Jonathan give a stellar rendition of As Long As Your Mine

While Dorothy's moment on screen may be brief, Ethan Slater, who plays Boq/ the Tin Man, well and truly came into his own in Part 2. From the moment he stopped being Boq, we see a new side of Ethan whose epic vocals were showcased wonderfully in the movie, as was his acting range as his character took on a new emotional trajectory.

Things that weren't as magical

While the film was a true spectacle, some moments weren't entirely perfect. It was incredible to see Euphoria star Colman in the role of the Cowardly Lion; however, like Dorothy, he was in the movie for no longer than ten minutes, and therefore, the announcement that he would be in the movie felt slightly overhyped. It may have been best to leave his role as a surprise, like the surprise cameos from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked Part 1. However, given his CGI appearance, his role may have gone unnoticed, making it a tricky line to tread.

Often in musical theatre, we can put the subtle plot discrepancies down to dramatic license, but the same can't be said for the big screen, so there were also occasional moments where the plot felt clunky. One in particular was when Glinda and Elphaba confronted each other and had a physical fight. The flow of this felt a little off but almost immediately after it was time for No Good Deed, so all was forgiven. More on the fab four, there also seemed to be a decision to keep Fiyero's transformation into the Scarecrow a secret, despite it being spelt out and alluded to, which felt odd. That being said, Jonathan was ever the perfect Fiyero, and his physical transformation into the Scarecrow was nothing short of epic, not to mention his and Cynthia's sublime rendition of As Long As You're Mine.

An iconic ending

A photo of Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey in WICKED — Wicked: For Good is full of twists and turns

If the song For Good didn't leave you in tears, then the final moments of the film certainly will. As Glinda and Elphaba part ways for the final time, we see them both look at the same rainbow, again like the No Place Like Home reference, the rainbow gives fans a wonderfully well-rounded and familiar touchstone from The Wizard of Oz, in which Dorothy dreams of a land "over the rainbow". While you think that will be the final moment, we are then presented with a series of clips from Glinda and Elphaba's school days, where they, along with Fiyero, Nessarose, played by Marissa Bode, and Boq, enjoy what looks like a summer together as friends.

In the very final moment of the film, Glinda and Elphaba take the shape of the famous Wicked poster where Glinda whispers into Elphaba's ear, paying an emotional homage to the film's origins. In conclusion, the new film is completely spellbinding in every way with so many magical twists and turns, as well as being a complete spectacle with a moral beating heart that leaves you reaching for the tissues.