Wicked
wicked is a fun, beautiful, and heartfelt musical. the songs are on point—they’re fun, energetic, and incredibly memorable. the choreography is joyous, and the performances in this film are outstanding.
as a fan of ariana grande for the past eight years, the happiness she brings to this role is eternal. her talent is undeniable—she’s an amazing singer who fits this musical perfectly. but beyond her singing, she reminds us what an incredible actress she is, a side we haven’t seen much of in recent years. what a gift it is to have her back on screen. her performance might just be one of the best supporting comedic performances of the year. while there’s always the argument that wicked will dominate awards and overshadow other deserving films, ariana’s work deserves every bit of praise it gets. her manifestation of this role is inspiring—seeing her express her love for wicked over the years and then landing the part feels truly magical.
cynthia erivo, meanwhile, is the very definition of a strong female lead. she is a phenomenal actress and singer who absolutely owns this movie. her performance, alongside ariana’s, forms the emotional core of the film. it feels as though they were both born to play these roles—they’re funny, moving, and endlessly talented, they’re the heart of the film.
jonathan bailey is another standout. while some may say his fiyero is very different from the stage version, i think his charisma and seamless performance make him a perfect fit. he excels in this role, just as he did in phoebe waller bridge’s crashing, and i’d love to see him in more comedies. he has such a gift for the genre, and i hope this film opens more doors for him in that space.
now, i do want to touch on some of the downsides of the movie, because unfortunately, they’re there. when i think of the wizard of oz, i imagine a world that is always colorful and cheerful. sadly, that wasn’t quite the case here. while every shot was indeed colorful, the palette felt off—not the kind of “cheerful” colors you typically associate with the wizard of oz or wicked. the lighting and blocking, in particular, were disappointing and disrupted the visual magic that could have made this film even greater.
additionally, i felt the final act—especially the defying gravity sequence—dragged on too long. this slowed the pacing and pulled me out of the experience a bit.
despite these flaws, i still found the film absolutely amazing, and i can’t wait to see what’s coming next year in the second part. 💚🩷