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Poster Description: The poster is pink and green. On the left, cherry blossoms fly in the breeze. Glinda looks like a typical pretty blonde princess with a pale pink gown, crystal wand and diadem. She reaches up towards Elphaba, who reaches down from the top right corner. The Emerald City is in the distance between them, with flying monkeys swooping towards the women. Elphaba wears her black hat and cloak, clutching her broomstick. The film’s title is black, outlined in pink and green.
It’s a film based on a hit musical, based on a novel, which is effectively a fanfiction series from a book that is also an iconic film. Phew. But does Wicked match up to all the media hype and successful box-office takings? It felt right to have it as my first review of 2025.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Harriet) has been misunderstood her whole life. Born with green skin, she tends to accidentally cause
chaos when angry or upset. Meanwhile, Glinda (Arianna Grande-Butera, Don’t Look Up) is a
spoilt, popular girl used to getting her own way. She’s politely horrified to
learn she must share her private suite at Shiz Academy with the outspoken, green-skinned
girl who possesses powers Glinda has always dreamed of having.
Initially enemies, their “unadulterated loathing” is made all the more adorable by the “opposites attract” vibe. I particularly love Frances Hannon’s decision to give Elphaba freckles because they give her striking appearance so much more vulnerability. Likewise, Erivo’s choice to be air-brushed instead of making her green post-production makes her so much more real. Her mock surprise and defiant “I am,“ when Glinda incredulously cries, “You’re green?!” will resonate with many more minoritised people in the audience. Similarly, Elphaba’s scripted answers to people’s questions about her greenness - no, she did not eat grass as a child, etc. - makes for wry entertainment. You root for her immediately.
When I first saw Erivo in Harriet (a biopic of the slave and pioneer Harriet Tubman I recommend), her voice rendered me speechless. Erivo’s voice is soft, with a raw edge that demands to be heard, and her version of "Defying Gravity" is suitably spine-tingling particularly that iconic final note. Erivo makes it her own, as well she should.
Grande’s voice, while familiar in the musical charts, is
given more room to show her range as Glinda – and we are reminded that Grande is a brilliant
comedic actress, too! Unlike Elphaba, Glinda’s makeup is more natural, and many
of her costumes felt reminiscent of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde…if Elle Woods
was a spoilt brat! And yet she’s still likeable!
As someone who has not yet seen the West End show but has read the book, I was unsure where Wicked would begin. Trust me when I say Gregory Maguire’s novel series is not meant for younger audiences! For all the quirky turns of phrases used by characters in the film, there are some bizarre, adult themes thankfully missing from the movie. From the first shot, the cinematography will blow the audience away. The sprawling camerawork, the gorgeous scenery, and fans of the stage show will be delighted by the musical numbers. I particularly enjoyed the impressive choreography – or with “What Is This Feeling?”, the booky-ography! TikTok loves it, too, but I wish the books were more respected in “Dancing Through Life” (sob). Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero is the perfect casting for the handsomely shallow character, and the song cheekily foreshadows what we know from The Wizard of Oz. Indeed, Wicked utterly revels in its dramatic irony.
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Image Description: Elphaba and Glinda sit side-by-side in front of a mirror. Elphaba looks playful in a simple grey gown with her dark hair loose down her shoulders. Glinda has her blonde hair tied in pink ribbons. Her gown is (of course) pale pink with large tulle roses on her shoulders. She pouts, smouldering at her reflection.
With all this happening, however, my main source of joy is the disability representation. Marissa Bode plays Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, and her younger version is played by (the adorable) Cesily Collette Taylor; both actresses use wheelchairs. Why does this matter? Because it is rare for me to even write it in a review simply because it is so rare. I grew up watching films where disabled characters either didn’t exist, were bad guys, or were played by actors who weren’t wheelchair-users in real life. The fact that Nessarose is not a villain, but simply a young woman who wants to be independent and enjoy making memories at Shiz University is a reason to exhale. Finally, realism is in a film about witches and wizards, and that's fine with me. Unfortunately, it comes with other relatable instances, such as a member of staff who sees her chair first and volunteers to steer Nessarose’s chair without her permission. Only Elphaba’s explosive intervention stops this, much to Nessarose’s shame. Likewise, when the other students stand up to clap Madame Morrible’s speech, Nessa meets the eye of Boq (Ethan Slater), who is half-Munchkin and so short. They smile and sigh in resignation about being unable to see what’s happening above everyone else. Still, later in the film, there is a ball, and while the main highlight is the extraordinary routine between Elphaba and Glinda, the dance between Nessa and Boq (Ethan Slater) still brings tears to my eyes with its simple sweetness.
At over three hours, Wicked is a long film, but you will find it passes by in no time. As well as being a great musical, it touches on some heavy topics like fascism and using minorities as scapegoats for a larger cause. In this case, one of them is a literal goat voiced by Peter Dinklage. Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible scares me in a good way, and Jeff Goldblum plays the so-called Wizard of Oz in an unabashedly showy role he was made to play. Admittedly, the Emerald City is a bit of a CGI let-down compared to its towering scale from the 1939 film I watched religiously as a kid.
In conclusion, please don’t give Maguire’s book to your kid; it is for older readers. Fortunately, there is little to worry about in the film. Whether you like musicals or not, Wicked is not to be missed. It is beautiful to watch and sing along to and is a joy from start to finish. Does it match up to the hype? It's a gravity-defying yes from me.
The second part, Wicked: For Good, will be released in cinemas on November 21st, 2025.
My Rating: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5
My Sources:
Wicked poster - https://www.amazon.co.uk/GB-eye-Wicked-Elphaba-Glinda/dp/B0DCZR2GM6
Ariana Grande’s filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3812858/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2
Image: Elphaba and Glinda - https://screenrant.com/wicked-movie-elphaba-glinda-romance-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-response/
Which song involves dancing with books? - https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/a-complete-guide-to-all-the-songs-in-wicked
TikTok loves this dance - https://www.hercampus.com/culture/wicked-movie-what-is-this-feeling-choreography-tiktok/
Who plays Nessa? - https://screenrant.com/wicked-nessarose-wicked-witch-east-name-explainer/
Who is the Wicked makeup artist? - https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/make-up/a62960220/wicked-movie-hair-makeup-artist-interview-2024/
Who plays young Nessarose? - https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/wicked-young-nessarose-cesily-collette-taylor-yeah-rcna181640
Who does Michelle Yeoh play? - https://wicked.fandom.com/wiki/Michelle_Yeoh
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