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The best dark fantasy epic of 2025 is finally streaming on Netflix
Netflix has added John M. Chu's "Wicked: For Good" (2025) to its streaming library, alongside the first instalment, "Wicked" (2024), giving subscribers the chance to watch both parts of the two-film adaptation together. The release offers a bright spot in what the article's author calls a weak year for movie musicals, with Polygon praising the pairing as an ideal way to experience Stephen Schwartz's musical, itself based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel about the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Wicked: For Good" picks up a year after the original film, following Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as she goes on the run from the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) after her efforts to expose the Wizard's cruelty backfire and turn public opinion against her. Meanwhile Glinda (Ariana Grande) must confront her complicity in the Wizard's oppressive rule. The review highlights the chemistry between Erivo and Grande as the emotional core of both films, noting how the darker tone and songs in "For Good" contrast with the more whimsical first instalment, and how the central friendship overshadows the story's love triangle involving Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey).
In short
- "Wicked: For Good" (2025) now streaming on Netflix from 20 July.
- Original "Wicked" (2024) also available, enabling a full two-film watch.
- Reviewer praises Erivo and Grande's chemistry as the films' emotional core.
Explained simply
"Wicked" is a musical film adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, which tells the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. The story is being told across two films, with the first instalment released in 2024 and the second in 2025, both directed by John M. Chu. The musical features songs by Stephen Schwartz.
The films follow Elphaba, a young woman with green skin who becomes the Wicked Witch, and her complex friendship with Glinda, who becomes known as Glinda the Good. The story explores how Elphaba ends up on the run from the Wizard and those in power after attempting to expose the Wizard's cruelty, whilst Glinda must confront her own role in his oppressive rule. The cast includes Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, alongside Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
The films present a darker and more complex take on the Wizard of Oz story than audiences might expect. The pairing of Erivo and Grande is particularly noted for its emotional depth, with the second instalment exploring heavier themes whilst maintaining the production values and musical spectacle of the first.