The Wicked Witch of the West is gone and everyone in Oz is just thrilled. Even Glinda, who’s the Good Witch of the North, comes over to join in by burning a puppet of her old enemy. But believe it or not, Glinda and the Wicked Witch weren’t always enemies—they used to be best friends! Way back when they first met at Shiz University. Glinda, who went by Galinda back then, was all about studying with Madame Morrible, the dean responsible for teaching witchcraft. She wasn’t interested in Galinda though; she was more into Elphaba—a green-skinned girl who didn’t have any friends but had some seriously wild magic.

The movie is like this whirlwind of bright colors and intense emotions. It’s full of twists and secrets that keep you guessing right until the end.

So there’s this big question running through it: Why does evil exist? You see it through Elphaba’s journey—she starts off kind-hearted but things just go downhill fast. Her dad doesn’t accept her because she’s different; her peers make fun of her; everything gets blamed on her, even stuff she didn’t do; and she’s left so alone that bitterness builds up inside her. Meanwhile, at college, there’s Galinda: blonde, super confident, shined-up good girl who’s incredibly popular.

It’s a story that makes you think about what really makes someone turn bad.

Ever get that feeling where everything reminds you of something else? That’s the vibe with Shiz—it’s like a mash-up of Hogwarts, Nevermore, and all those other magical schools. It also brings to mind Fantastic Beasts because, in this story, there’s this big scary group trying to wipe out the magical animals in Oz. These creatures are being silenced and locked away, while boring substitutes try to rewrite history so nobody learns about past witch hunts or how people fear what’s different. Basically, it’s all about finding someone or something to blame.

Then you’ve got Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande stealing the show as key players in Oz’s world. They’re like two bright colors on opposite ends of a spectrum—can’t mix them without losing their essence. It’s kind of a reflection of our lives these days with sides constantly clashing over just about everything. Take Elphaba: she quickly grows up and decides not to fit in but instead owns her uniqueness as strength. Meanwhile, Glinda starts off confident in her pink-perfect world until that begins to shake her up a bit.