The Devil Wears Prada 2 review: Solid sequel that lacks the magic of Part 1

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The sequel to the popular 2006 comedy, The Devil Wears Prada 2, doesn’t quite live up to the original. While it’s watchable, the movie feels inconsistent and the story isn’t as interesting.

The first Devil Wears Prada movie followed Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, as she attempted to launch a journalism career. She quickly felt out of place in the competitive and glamorous world of high fashion while working at Runway magazine.

The film was a huge financial success, earning almost ten times its production cost worldwide. It also made Meryl Streep’s character, the demanding editor Miranda Priestly, a pop culture phenomenon – a character widely recognized as a humorous take on Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Over time, the original film has become highly regarded, making a sequel seem likely. However, some odd choices in characters and plot suggest it might not have been the best idea.

What is The Devil Wears Prada 2 about?

In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Andy returns to work for Miranda and finds herself clashing with Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) once more. The story explores themes of ambition, greed, loyalty, and betrayal, while also offering a critical look at the current state of the journalism industry.

The event begins with Andy being honored with a ‘Gold Keyboard’ award for her work as an investigative journalist. Ironically, while she’s giving a powerful speech about the importance of supporting in-depth reporting, she and her team are all being let go from their jobs at the newspaper.

As she questions her career path, Runway magazine is facing a crisis of its own. A false story has damaged the magazine’s reputation with advertisers, threatening its financial stability.

After Andy’s emotional video spread online, the owners of Runway magazine offered her a position. Seeing a chance to get back at the person who had caused her so much trouble, Andy accepted and started working as a features editor.

The movie’s beginning feels very similar to the first one. While Andy has grown more confident and her style has improved after twenty years, Miranda quickly undermines her with sharp, critical comments, putting Andy immediately back on the defensive.

Even though Emily has moved on, the movie brings her back into the group, which creates new problems for Andy. It’s enjoyable to see these familiar characters again, but the film starts slowly, taking about half an hour to really get going.

A film that’s filled with mixed messages

Once the main story begins, it takes some unexpected turns that don’t quite land successfully, though we won’t spoil the details.

The film attempts to humanize Miranda Priestly by showing glimpses of her personal life and struggles. However, this softer version of the character ultimately feels less compelling and interesting than her original, formidable persona.

Despite the polished exterior, the character of Priestly remains deeply flawed. It’s difficult to root for someone who is, at his core, a bully, especially when the story shifts to focus on protecting him.

The film also raises concerns about how the media is depicted. It presents journalism as a noble profession that’s being harmed by job losses, company mergers, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence.

That’s all true, and it leaves Andy constantly torn between writing stories people need to read and stories that just get clicks online. But then we’re presented with an example of good journalism – a wealthy woman interviewing another wealthy woman about her breakup – which feels much more focused on entertainment than important information.

It often feels like the only way for media organizations to survive is to be bought out by a rich investor, which is a discouraging thought considering everything that’s been built.

Is The Devil Wears Prada 2 good?

Despite some drawbacks, the new Devil Wears Prada movie is ultimately a fun and enjoyable experience.

Okay, so the writing in this movie is really good. The jokes just keep coming, and they’re genuinely funny – a lot of it’s physical comedy about how people walk and carry themselves. Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt get all the best, snappiest lines, and the writers even threw in some awesome references to the first movie, especially running gags about the color blue. It’s like they knew what fans loved before!

Andy also has a budding romance with Patrick Brammell, who you might recognize from “Colin From Accounts.” Though it doesn’t get a ton of focus with everything else happening, he seems like a much better match for Andy than the unpleasant guy from the first movie.

The entire cast delivers excellent performances, with Meryl Streep as captivating as ever. Stanley Tucci is delightful as Nigel, Miranda’s loyal assistant, and his character gets the most compelling storyline. Like the first film, it’s full of stunning fashion, especially during a beautiful and glamorous trip to Italy, which director David Frankel captures wonderfully.

Although this installment isn’t as captivating as the first – it focuses on less exciting corporate conflicts instead of inspiring adventures – the film still works thanks to its delightful charm, humor, and stunning costumes.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits screens on May 1, 2026.

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2026-04-29 19:19