The Broadway musical Wicked has been adapted to the big screen. The 2024 film stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and the adaptation is causing a lot of buzz online.
Many fans are recreating Ariana and Cynthia’s looks, using extravagant makeup to recreate the iconic charactaers’ looks. Others challenge their singing voices by belting out “Defying Gravity” as Elphaba did in the movie.
On the other side of the internet, influencers are creating parodies that poke fun at how overly emotional and nice Ariana and Cynthia seem to be during the press tour, where they are often seen crying, holding hands, and hugging each other in interviews.
Some people validate their emotions, reminding others that these roles were their dreams, while others struggle to understand why they are so emotional about it. For some, Ariana and Cynthias emotions are unsettling and have them “loathing” the movie. Either way, the internet is buzzing with excitement for the new movie, so I decided to see what it was all about.
My experience with the movie was, at the very least, great. While some parts moved slowly, I found that every moment contributed to the overall plot. I thought the actors performed well together. I appreciated the film’s clever opening, which was foreshadowing and a flashback that excited viewers for what was to come. The beginning scene provides a mix of emotions that make you think, “What is this feeling?”
My only critique is that the progression of Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship practically jumps from being almost enemies to the best of friends. I think that a few more scenes showing their relationship developing would have made their transition more believable.
I did enjoy this movie but the plot twist was predictable. I heard a lot of conspiracies from fellow attendees after the show. I, too, had concepts of what was to come throughout the movie, most of which turned out to be correct.
I thought the actresses did an amazing job in their roles. Ariana was the perfect Glinda. She was a self-absorbed, popular people-pleaser who viewed herself highly compared to others. On the other hand, Elphaba, played by Cynthia, pretended not to care about others opinions, although she was aware of what they thought. She was not popular and didn’t see herself as being any better than the average person. Cynthia also did an amazing job filling the role of her character and bringing justice to the musical.
As for the songs, I thought they were well performed and as we already know from Ariana Grande’s musical career, she has incredible vocals. Both actresses chose to sing live, and do their own stunts. Cynthia’s voice harmonizes beautifully with Ariana’s, and I genuinely believe we could not have asked for a better casting choice.
The film ends on a cliffhanger, with Wicked, Part 2 scheduled for release on November 21, 2025. Until then, the excitement surrounding Wicked will continue online, and we can expect the buzz to return in November next year. This movie is overall a 4.5/5 star film.
