Monday, November 24, 2025 |
Where editors share their weekly musings on pop culture—and recommend what to watch, read, and listen to right now. This week, we discuss Wicked: For Good and Eternity. |
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| Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital content: One afternoon two weeks ago, Lauren and I reached a new milestone in our working relationship: crying together at a film screening. But we couldn't help it—it was Wicked: For Good! Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's harmonies could bring even the most buttoned-up professionals to tears. Thankfully we both had sunglasses handy on the walk back to the office. Lauren, which part of the movie struck you the most? |
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| Lauren Puckett-Pope, culture writer: Honestly? I've always thought act 2 of Wicked was obviously the weaker of the two, but the new movie did remind me how "No Good Deed" is an underrated banger. And, of course, "For Good" itself was lovely. Call it corny—and you'd be right—but it's still the friendship ballad that made a generation. |
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Erica: So true. When I spoke to Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, he said that, when he was writing the song, he asked his daughter how she would feel if she never saw her best friend again, and he wrote down what she said. The fact that it's based on a real friendship is also what makes it so relatable!
Lauren: Did you sing your personal rendition of "For Good" for him?
Erica: Honestly, I didn't want to scare him off. But maybe next time. |
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I first saw Eternity back at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and I will admit I left the theater in tears. (Lots of tears in the newsletter today—happy ones!) A certain sort of rom-com fan is sure to love the silly but sincere sentimentality of the film, which stars Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen as Larry and Joan, a married couple who arrive in the afterlife and must decide which kind of afterlife they want—and whether they want to spend it together. That decision is further complicated by the presence of Joan's first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War and has been waiting for Joan to meet him in eternity ever since. Alongside them are Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as a hilarious pair of "afterlife coordinators." Eternity is playing in theaters nationwide on November 26.—LPP |
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Season 4 of the wild broadcast newsroom drama The Morning Show has come and gone, but don't think you've seen the last of Alex Levy's withering glare. The season finale ended with a dramatic reunion between Jennifer Aniston's Alex and Reese Witherspoon's Bradley Jackson, and director Mimi Leder tells me there's "so much [left] to explore" in the upcoming season 5, which she promises is "going to be fantastic. It's going to be big and it's going to be emotional." Catch up on the latest season while you've got some time to breathe before—who knows—Bradley goes to space again?—LPP |
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A few weeks ago, I recommended this book in ELLE's list of the best mysteries and thrillers of 2025, but it's worth re-upping here as it approaches publication on Tuesday. Already in development for a Hulu adaptation starring Past Lives actress Greta Lee, Marisa Kashino's Best Offer Wins takes the already dark, twisted real estate market to new dark, twisted depths. The story follows 30-something publicist Margo Miyake, whose desperation to buy her dream home in Washington, D.C., leads her to increasingly horrifying measures. Anyone who's ever wistfully scrolled through Zillow can relate to Margo's plight…if not, perhaps, her choices. This is one wild ride I can't wait to see on the screen.—LPP |
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WHAT YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO: |
Now that the Wicked: For Good soundtrack is out, I'm so glad I can finally put Cynthia Erivo's rendition of "No Good Deed" on infinite loop. Even though we all knew she would crush it, it's no less powerful to hear her actual performance in full force. She stays true to Idina Menzel's stunning original for the most part, but adds some riffs and an insane vocal slide (you'll know it when you hear it), putting her indelible mark on the showstopper. You can listen to the song here, but if you want to hear more about the music for the second film (including those two new numbers), check out our interview with Schwartz below.—EG |
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Tears and compliments were flowing at ELLE's Women in Hollywood celebration last week, but perhaps no one was a bigger fangirl than Teyana Taylor. Though an honoree herself, she took a moment mid-speech to shout out Jennifer Aniston when she spotted her in the audience. Who wouldn't?—EG |
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