An instant classic!
WARNING: Contains spoilers.
I’m hard to please when it comes to musical films. It’s not that I necessarily hate the genre; it’s just that most of the recent musicals I’ve seen throughout my entire career of reviewing movies haven’t quite hit the mark.
So, what does it take for a musical to impress me? The vocal showcases should never feel cringey — they need to push the narrative forward seamlessly, without feeling forced. The film should also strike the right balance when it comes to tonal shifts, especially in movies that tackle heavy themes. A tacky song number can easily undermine a film's impact. And while we’re talking balance, I also want to enjoy the non-musical parts of the film, not just sit through them waiting for the next song. Fortunately, Wicked hits all these marks.
The direction
When it comes to musicals, Jon M. Chu has earned my trust. You probably know him as the mastermind behind Crazy Rich Asians, but for me, he’s the director of In the Heights, a musical film I called “the best ensemble movie of 2021.” Now, with Wicked, he has proven once again that he’s a master at making musicals that even a skeptic like me can appreciate. It’s easily the best commercial film I’ve seen this year, which, for someone who doesn’t exactly jump at the chance to watch musicals, is pretty wild.
Chu’s Wicked is an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which itself is loosely based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s book offers a revisionist take on the characters and setting from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the iconic 1939 film adaptation that catapulted Judy Garland into superstardom.
The cast
When Lady Gaga was cast as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie À Deux, the reasoning was clear: bringing in a pop superstar is a surefire way to generate buzz and broaden a film’s audience. While it doesn’t always guarantee success — Folie À Deux turned out to be a box office flop — it’s a strategy worth attempting.
The same skepticism arose when Ariana Grande was announced as part of the cast for Wicked. What many didn’t realize, however, is that Grande isn’t just a pop icon; she’s a performer with deep theatrical roots. She began her journey on stage at just eight years old, appearing in local productions of Annie and The Wizard of Oz. In 2008, she even made her Broadway debut in the musical 13 before finding stardom as Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon’s Victorious.
Grande is also a self-proclaimed Wicked superfan who has often expressed how much the musical means to her. She even dreamed of playing Glinda as a child, manifesting the role at just 11 years old. In the 2024 movie adaptation, Grande owns her role with a performance so intoxicating, it’s as if Glinda was written for her all along.
And then there’s Cynthia Erivo. I mean, what more can you expect from someone just an Oscar away from becoming an EGOT winner? As Elphaba, Erivo delivers a fierce, spellbinding performance, with vocals that could make anyone green with envy.
And her chemistry with Grande? Electrifying! It’s the best part of the film: two performances that feel worlds apart, yet their contrasting energies blend effortlessly and create a dynamic so captivating that every moment they share on-screen becomes impossible to resist.
The relevance
Wicked teaches us a powerful lesson that’s relevant to the whole “wokeness” conversation. It’s about questioning who gets to decide what’s good and what’s bad. The story shows how easy it is to label people based on what we think we know, without seeing the full picture.
In today’s world, especially in progressive spaces, we run the risk of villainizing people too quickly, just because they don’t fit into a specific mold or because of incomplete narratives. And that’s pretty ironic, especially when you think about how much we emphasize fact-checking, fairness, and inclusivity — things we often forget to practice ourselves when it comes to judging others.
Wicked is an instant classic. Flaws aside, it is one of the most exhilarating and boundary-pushing musical films in recent memory. And Chu? He crafted a final act that’s nothing short of a powerful spell that leaves no expectation unchallenged.
Some might call splitting it into two films a cash grab, and I was on the fence too before I saw it. But then, watching it unfold, I realized the real magic lies in the fact that it runs almost three hours and still feels like it’s flying by. It doesn’t drag for a second, and honestly, not once did it feel like I was being asked to empty my pockets for nothing.
I am excited for the next film, though I wonder how it will rise to the occasion after we've already had the “Defying Gravity” moment we’ve all been waiting for.
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