This cinematic occasion of the yr is right here with the discharge of the second half of the Depraved story, Depraved: For Good.
Watch With Us couldn’t be extra enthusiastic about it, so in celebration, we determined to place collectively an inventory of our favourite cinema variations of L. Frank Baum’s The Great Wizard of Oz books.
Chances are you’ll primarily be accustomed to the traditional Judy Garland movie, however there are a couple of extra worthy variations of the fabric.
Learn on to see our checklist and the place the Depraved movies rank.
5. ‘The Wiz’ (1978)
This movie adaptation of the hit 1974 Broadway musical reimagines The Wizard of Oz, led by a Black forged, following 24-year-old Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy Gale (Diana Ross) as she is transported to the magical fantasyland of Oz. With a soundtrack of infectious, catchy songs like “Ease On Down the Street,” The Wiz options performances from Michael Jackson because the Scarecrow and Richard Pryor because the Wizard of Oz.
The Wiz is notable for being Michael Jackson’s solely main movie function, and whereas it obtained blended evaluations upon launch, it has since gone on to turn into a cult movie in no small half attributable to Jackson. Whereas some discovered enlisting dramatic director Sidney Lumet for a musical to be a poor selection, the movie nonetheless succeeds in its nice performances, whereas the much less colourful strategy to the fabric highlights the movie’s socially acutely aware subtext.
4. ‘Depraved: For Good’ (2025)
The extremely anticipated sequel to Depraved follows the remainder of the story within the 2003 stage musical of the identical title. We decide up 5 years from the place Depraved left off, during which the Depraved Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), has been demonized in Ouncesand now resides in exile throughout the Ozian forest. In the meantime, Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) lives within the Emerald Metropolis palace, beloved by the residents. However when a mob varieties towards Elphaba, Glinda should reunite along with her former buddy to save lots of her.
Evaluations of Depraved: For Good point out that critics really feel this sequel doesn’t fairly match as much as its fast predecessor, however followers, alternatively, have been overwhelmingly happy with the movie. The performances from Erivo and Grande unsurprisingly anchor a lot of the film, and regardless of the shortage of catchy tunes that outline the story’s first half, Depraved: For Good remains to be extremely heartstring-tugging and visually gorgeous.
Depraved: For Good is now taking part in in theaters.
3. ‘Return to Oz’ (1985)
This darkish fantasy reimagining of the world of Ouncesis an unofficial sequel to the 1939 movie, whereas combining components of Baum’s Ouncesnovels The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. The movie follows Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk), whose insistence on having traveled to Ouncesconcerns her Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) and Uncle Henry (Matt Clark), so they carry her to a sanatorium. Dorothy escapes, and in doing so, she is transported again to Oz, the place she finds the Yellow Brick Street decreased to rubble and Emerald Metropolis in ruins. Dorothy units out to save lots of the town and free her mates, who’ve been turned to stone.
Return to Oz struggles as a child’s film attributable to its genuinely terrifying imagery, specifically, the characterization of creatures often called the “Wheelers.” Nonetheless, the film gained a cult following partially as a result of followers of the Oz books really feel it’s a extra trustworthy interpretation than the Judy Garland traditional. Finally, Return to Oz is an extremely distinctive movie, whose visible type, darker tone and particular results could be extra totally appreciated by adults.
Return to Oz is streaming on Disney+.
2. ‘Depraved’ (2024)
The primary act adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s extraordinarily widespread stage musical follows Elphaba (Erivo) earlier than she turns into the Depraved Witch of the West, and Glinda (Grande) earlier than she turns into Glinda the Good Witch. The film charts Elphaba’s tough upbringing, having been born with inexperienced pores and skin and subsequently ostracized for it, and her time at Shiz College, the place she meets Glinda as her mismatched dorm roommate. Ultimately going from enemies to mates, the pair’s lives however start to tackle very totally different paths.
Depraved obtained a formidable ten nominations on the 2025 Academy Awards, together with Greatest Image, Greatest Actress for Erivo and Greatest Supporting Actress for Grande. Followers and critics agreed that the movie was an enormous triumph — a well-acted, enchanting and aesthetically sensible cinematic adaptation of the Depraved musical. Thus, the film unsurprisingly grew to become a cultural phenomenon to match that of its supply materials.
Depraved is streaming on Prime Video.
1. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)
It’s onerous to surpass the enduring standing of the primary Oz movie, a masterful and groundbreaking work of Hollywood filmmaking that options one of the legendary performances of all time in Garland as Dorothy Gale. Dorothy is swept away from her dwelling in Kansas to the Technicolor world of Oz, the place she struggles to seek out her approach dwelling whereas avoiding the wrath of the Depraved Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) for unintentionally killing the witch’s sister.
Common Footage Depraved modified Us for good, and the second half is bound to do the identical. The primary of the two-part Depraved film adaptation, launched in November 2024, introduced the beloved Broadway present to life on the large display. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, the story chronicled the […]
A musical fantasy that went on to affect so many movies after it for generations to come back, The Wizard of Oz is rightly thought-about one of many best films of all time. With memorable performances, wonderful songs and a pop-art look created from painstaking Technicolor utility, The Wizard of Oz has greater than earned its place within the annals of cinema historical past.
The Wizard of Oz is streaming on HBO Max.
Led by Senior Editor and skilled critic Jason Struss, Watch With Us’ workforce of writers and editors sees virtually each film and TV present from the distant previous to the current to find out what’s price your money and time. Our numerous hours of multimedia consumption — mixed with years of expertise within the leisure business — assist us decide one of the best films and TV reveals you have to be streaming proper now.
To be thought-about “one of the best,” these movies and sequence could be visually partaking, intellectually stimulating or just simply enjoyable to observe, however the one trait they should have is that they’re all, indirectly, entertaining. We then examine which platform they’re streaming on and how one can entry them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements right here — our suggestions are based mostly purely on our love and curiosity for the movies and reveals we love.
