“Wicked Part 1” was the best musical movie I’ve ever seen

By Faith Gallishaw ’25

“Wicked Part 1” was the best musical movie I’ve ever seen. From its astonishing choreography to its amazing soundtrack, words can’t even begin to describe the joy and happiness I felt after leaving the theater. 

“Wicked Part 1” directed by Jon M. Chu was released on November 22, 2024. This musical features Cynthia Erivo, co-stars Ariana Grande and also Jonathon Bailey, Ethan Slater, and Jeff Goldblum as part of the main cast. When the movie was first released it was only available in theaters, but now is available to rent or buy online for those who want to watch at home. A few places you could buy or rent the movie are YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

This musical is the prequel to the “Wizard of Oz,” but also follows the friendship of Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) and how it develops over the course of their time spent at Shiz University. Not only do they become friends, but they seek answers together about why all the animal professors were slowly disappearing one by one from Shiz. 

Watching this movie will have you going through a rush of emotions from emotional to intrigued. “Wicked” is not only filled with cheerful and jolly moments, but also moments that will have you feeling tender. 

A moment in the movie where I felt intrigued is during the performance of “Defying Gravity” when Elphaba bursts through the glass with her broomstick and as we think she falls she rises in the air belting her iconic line in the song. Not only did I enjoy this part of the movie, but everyone worldwide did as well; so much it became popular to where everyone is trying to recreate her iconic scene on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. A moment when I felt emotional is during the Ozdust Ballroom scene when Elphaba is dancing alone, and Glinda shows kindness to her by wiping her tears and dances along with her even though she gets odd stares for doing so. 

One of the strengths of the movie would be the variety of color used throughout the film. If the film was used with dull colors and not pastel vibrant colors it would not catch the watchers’ attention as much. Another strength of this movie is the foreshadowing they added from “The Wizard of Oz.” For example, before the movie starts it shows Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion making a brief cameo meaning that “Wicked” and “The Wizard of Oz” correlate with each other.

I personally enjoyed watching the movie and recommend it to those who enjoy watching musicals.