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November 22, 2024 
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Hey, movie fans!
You’ve been hearing about it for months on end. You’ve been seeing its stars everywhere in the lead-up. And you’ve been singing the songs in anticipation. Finally, the film version of the Broadway musical “Wicked” (or at least part one of it) has arrived in just about every theater near you. What did our critic think? She’s mostly drawn to Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo.
“Both the character and the actress are the strongest draws in this splashy, largely diverting, tonally discordant and unconscionably long movie,” Manohla Dargis writes in her review.
We spoke to the two stars of the movie (Erivo and Ariana Grande), as well as the director (Jon M. Chu), and reflected on whether the Wicked Witch of the West is the heroine for our time.
Oh, there’s another movie coming out this week that maybe you’ve heard something about: “Gladiator II.” The splashy, bloody, sharks-in-the-Colosseum sequel to Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning feature from 2000 brings Scott back as the director and hurls Paul Mescal into the arena. Plus, Denzel Washington wreaks havoc in gorgeous robes along the way. It’s a Critic’s Pick, with Dargis writing in her review, “Scott clearly had a blast making this movie and so did Washington, and they’re inviting you to have one, too, which proves easy.”
Make it a “Glicked” weekend and check out both films. Or you have plenty of other options in both the narrative and documentary categories to choose from this week. Enjoy the movies!
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 | | Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures |
‘Wicked’ Review: We’re Off to See the WitchesCynthia Erivo is the strongest draw in this splashy, overly long movie, which is the first installment in a two-part adaptation of the Broadway show. By Manohla Dargis |
 | | Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures |
Critic’s Pick ‘Gladiator II’ Review: Thumb’s Up!Denzel Washington’s performance shows skill, intensity and absolute confidence in Ridley Scott’s pleasurably immersive epic about ancient Roman fighters. By Manohla Dargis |
 | | David Lee/Netflix |
‘The Piano Lesson’ Review: Ghosts in the InstrumentThis film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play falters in some specifics, but is still vital viewing. By Alissa Wilkinson |
 | | HBO |
Documentary Lens The Complexities of Fighting for Democracy“Night Is Not Eternal,” which follows the Cuban activist Rosa María Payá, is the rare nuanced political documentary that is likely to challenge every viewer’s perspective. By Alissa Wilkinson |
