Wicked (2024) | Film Review

Full disclosure: I have never seen the Broadway stage musical Wicked. Also, I had never heard a single note of any of the production’s song set. Even further still, I had zero concept of the plot outside of it being The Wizard of Oz’s villain origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West. As far as I knew, this could be the Yellow Brick Road to Morbius. Therefore, when I say I walked into Wicked blind, I mean it. For those of you following suit, Wicked is certainly tracing the origins of the aforementioned witch, but the journey is far more delightful than anything Jared Leto has ever produced.

For director Jon Chu’s cinematic reimagining, Part 1 of Wicked (Part 2 arrives next year) follows essentially the first act of the musical. Beginning immediately in the aftermath of the Wicked Witch’s (Elphaba) downfall, Glinda (Ariana Grande) recounts Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) rather tragic backstory – born with green skin and unexplained magical abilities – and her arrival at Shiz University, where the two women find themselves as unplanned roommates.

Initially fraught with friction, Elphaba and Glinda eventually become unlikely friends. Though they arrive from completely divided histories, both have an appreciation for magic, and Glinda quickly latches onto every opportunity afforded to Elphaba. Most importantly, Elphie (as Glinda comes to nickname her), is a prized pupil of renowned teacher, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, delivering her textbook gleeful sneer).

Learning from Morrible is the path to the top prize: meeting the famed leader of Oz, the vaguely fascist Wizard (reeling in the eccentricities and dialing up the charm), who famously utilizes tricks and gimmicks to control the masses and could use a dash of good ole’ illusionism to accentuate his plight. But as talking animals (such as her beloved professor Dillamond) are seemingly disappearing, Elphaba is on to shady business in the land of emerald and gold, and she is no one to be trifled with.

This cast is astounding. Not a single flaw in either the immersive world nor the recreated performances could I find as my childhood was brought ferociously to life (watching the original Wizard of Oz with my mother is a cherished personal memory). Even new additions to the history I know, such as Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) or Elphaba’s wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), all delivered at every moment possible. That said, the greatest standout of the supporting cast is easily Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero. Giving off hefty Chris Pine ala Into the Woods vibes, Bailey is a delightful explosion of charisma and joy who leaps off of every frame with reckless abandon. Maybe it’s time I finally watched Bridgerton.

All of that to say, the stars of Wicked are Elphie and Glinda. Cynthia Erivo is the easiest one to rave about because I have loved her work in everything I have seen her in. Elphaba maintains a quiet intensity, a simmering rage boils and escalates under the surface, though her friendship with Glinda softens this hardened gaze and Erivo wears the gamut of emotions on every pore of her face. Her performance is one of restraint and grit, and Erivo truly captivates and welcomes the audience into her inner exploration of the pain endured by the potentially misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. Fantasy is rarely awarded as fairly as it deserves, but Erivo earnestly delivers an Oscar-worthy performance.

What IS a surprise is Ariana Grande. I mean this with no ill will whatsoever, I just am not a fan of her music. Nothing to dislike, just not my style, and her performances thus far have been more focused on music videos. This I know after watching Wicked, Grande is a phenomenal talent. Comedy, drama, frustration, flirtation, condemnation, she covers it all. In a wide-ranging performance that is recreating not only millions of people’s childhood icon, but also one on the stage, Grande firmly stomps her petite feet and defines this role for a new generation. Ariana Grande simply IS Glinda by the film’s closing credits, and she deserves every accolade in the world for accomplishing such a feat.

If I had one complaint, and this is the one that keeps my score from floating any higher, it is that the songs frankly did not sing to me. Unlike In the Heights and The Greatest Showman, there were set-pieces I smiled like a cheshire cat through while still not really enjoying the actual music. Outside of “Popular” and “Defying Gravity”, I honestly do not believe any other number stuck in my head, and that is paramount for a fantastic musical. Most of you will probably feel vastly opposite, and I wish I could say the same.

Jon Chu has already proven his mettle in recreating musicals with his stupendous interpretation of In the Heights, not to mention bringing the world of Crazy Rich Asians to life. Chu and his teams vividly pops the world of Oz to LIFE with vivacious set design, seamlessly molding reality with CGI, and wondrously building on the filmmaker’s unique ability to capture musicality in the moment. What I mean by that is Chu and choreographer Christopher Scott have an innate ability to stage every set-piece with precision and the brilliance is in the fluidity to blend these wildly inventive musical numbers flawlessly back-and-forth between more conversational and dramatic sections. The pacing and fusion of these elements are impeccable.

By the end of Wicked: Part 1, I was thoroughly enamored. Sure, a few of the songs failed to ignite my desire to quickly surf for a Spotify list, but the story, production and performances were so fantastic that I honestly did not care. This is a near magnificent production, punctuated with career defining performances from Erivo and Grande, and it left me dying to see where Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship heads next. If this is Wicked, then bad has never felt so good.

Listen to our full podcast review of Wicked on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: