"Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the iconic stage musical. The film is a net win.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande play Elphaba and Glinda in "Wicked." Credit: Universal Pictures While the performances in the film are sensational overall, Chu makes a series of downright confounding choices that undercut the rapturous flow of the Broadway production and even the perspective of the story he aims to exalt.