Wicked: For Good Parents Guide

Wicked: For Good is Rated PG by Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.

The melodies may not lodge themselves in your head the way they did the first time around, but “Wicked: For Good” finds its true music in the bruised, lingering ache between two friends who can no longer bridge the distance between them. That’s where the film quietly, insistently sings.

Jon M. Chu brings back all the spectacle he unleashed in the first half of this two-part adaptation of the enduring Broadway behemoth. You can practically feel the craftsmanship from Nathan Crowley’s expansive production design and Paul Tazewell’s magnificent, story-driven costumes both of them returning Oscar winners whose work remains as sumptuous and imaginative as ever. If you were dazzled before and hoped the sequel wouldn’t abandon the visual splendor, rest easy. Oz still glimmers with impossible color, even as a deeper, more somber mood takes root.

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But the real enchantment the magic that matters comes from the performances at the film’s center. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande create an emotional gravitational pull that’s more potent in this chapter precisely because their friendship becomes a battleground. As in the first film, Elphaba’s emerald defiance and Glinda’s pastel perfection seem worlds apart, yet the two found in each other a rare, almost frightening recognition. You might remember the way they shared that wordless moment on the dance floor how that single glance hinted at everything vulnerable and extraordinary between them. Because the first film built their bond with such care, watching it crack here carries real weight. You feel the loss.

When we last saw them, Erivo’s Elphaba was ascending triumphantly into the sky on her broom, belting out the exhilarating “Defying Gravity,” the stage show’s iconic act-one finale. (Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox again handle the screenplay, drawing from Holzman’s original book and Gregory Maguire’s provocative novel.) While Elphaba has been off the grid, Glinda has blossomed into the public face of righteousness in Oz. The kingdom gleams with cheer, though the ensemble numbers are once again so stuffed with sound and spectacle that the lyrics sometimes blur into the background. Still, Grande’s comic buoyancy is irresistible when Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) presents her with the floating bubble that becomes her signature ride. The creamy pinks of Glinda’s Art Deco penthouse reflect not just elegance but a cultivated bliss a life deliberately insulated from discomfort.

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Glinda clings to the idea that aligning herself with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum, once more delightfully oily) is the noble thing to do, even when his grip on power reveals itself as unmistakably authoritarian. You sense the rot long before he bursts into “Wonderful,” a showman’s grin masking moral emptiness. Audiences who’ve lived through a few political cycles may feel an uneasy sting here the spectacle of a crowd surrendering to a charismatic pretender hits closer to home than it used to. And a flashback to Glinda’s childhood birthday party with Scarlett Spears playing a younger version of the character in spot-on casting hints that she’s always hidden her insecurities behind relentless enthusiasm and a talent for self-mythmaking.

Jonathan Bailey doesn’t get nearly enough to do as Prince Fiyero; you almost want to nudge the film and say, Let him sing! Still, he communicates oceans with a single flicker of doubt the kind that betrays his unease about a marriage to Glinda and a future tethered to her expanding public influence. Their lavish wedding is a floral explosion that proves Chu hasn’t lost his instinct for scale. Yet Fiyero quietly reminds her of the truth they both know: the Elphaba they loved isn’t the villain the world insists she is.

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That push and pull two women trying to hold onto each other while the world tugs them apart gives the film its spine. If everyone has already branded her wicked, Elphaba reasons, why keep resisting the label? Her transformation crystallizes in “No Good Deed,” a thunderous, anguished showpiece that showcases Erivo’s staggering vocal power and ushers in one of the sequel’s most visually arresting sequences. Glinda, meanwhile, faces her own reckoning in “The Girl in the Bubble,” one of two new Stephen Schwartz songs. Grande digs into her character’s fear, guilt, and dawning clarity, and Alice Brooks’ camera glides around her with a fluidity that feels almost like an embrace.

Yes, this chapter is darker and, in many ways, more cohesive than the first. Where “Wicked” sometimes treated its shift from whimsy to tragedy like a trapdoor opening under your feet, “For Good” establishes its gravity from the opening notes of John Powell’s somber score as workers lay the Yellow Brick Road stone by stone. Much of the film threads in familiar faces and iconic imagery from the 1939 classic, which will thrill those who cherish Oz’s mythic DNA. Still, one can’t help feeling shortchanged when an actor as commanding as Colman Domingo is relegated to only a few lines as the Cowardly Lion’s voice.

But in the end, what lingers isn’t the spectacle or the Easter eggs. It’s the way Erivo and Grande meet each other in the film’s final moments, sharing the title duet with a tenderness that sneaks up on you. Their “For Good” feels like a confession, a farewell, and a benediction all at once intimate enough to break your heart if you let it. Chances are you will.

Detailed Content Breakdown for Parents

Violence & Intensity: There is likely to be some intensity and conflict, as Elphaba resists the Wizard’s authoritarian rule. Expect tension, but not graphic violence (based on the tone of the musical source material).

Language: There’s no public indication that the film will use harsh profanity, slurs, or very adult language. The original stage musical is more poetic than profane, and the PG rating supports a milder tone.

Sexual Content / Nudity: Minimal to none. The focus is more on relationships, loyalty, and personal transformation than on romance or physical intimacy.

Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking: There’s no strong evidence to suggest that drug use, heavy drinking, or smoking are central to the story so far.

Parental Concerns

The political themes and moral ambiguity might be complex for very young children.

The emotional intensity of a friendship breaking apart could be distressing.

Because it’s a musical, some younger viewers might feel restless during slower, reflective song-based sequences.

Release date: November 21, 2025 (United States)