The Devil Wears Prada 2: Movie Review

The movie sequel to conquer all movie sequels. It's safe to say that this one was really personal for a lot of us who grew up watching and loving the original The Devil Wears Prada movie. I went to the cinema to watch this feeling cautiously optimistic. Not wanting to get my hopes up to much, but secrely praying that David Frankel could give us at least half the joy and iconicness he delivered with the first movie twenty years ago.

I left the cinema feeling satisfied.

There is quite a lot of nostalgia bait and fan service in this movie, especially in the first twenty minutes, but it's done in a charming, almost endearing way. The story is very simple: twenty years after leaving her job as Miranda Priestley's assistant, Andy Sachs is now an established journalist working in New York City. During a prestigious gala where she is the recipient of an award, she abruptly gets laid off by text, alongside her entire newsroom. Meanwhile, Miranda Priestly, still the editor-in-chief at Runway magazine, is under intense scrutiny for not properly vetting a puff piece on a brand that relies on sweatshop labour. In order to put out the fire that Runway is under and revamp the magazine's image, Irv Ravitz, the owner of Runway and Miranda's boss, hires Andy as the feature editor.

Before we know it, we’re right back where we started in the first movie: Andy is once again working for an annoyed, still-cruel Miranda and, despite the years that have passed and the career she’s built for herself, she’s still craving Miranda’s approval.

The best part about this sequel is that the entire original cast is back (and somehow none of them look like they've aged twenty years). And really, a sequel just wouldn’t have felt right without all of them back together again.

Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep both reprise their iconic roles, slipping back into the characters as if no time has passed, with their chemistry still as sharp and entertaining as ever. Stanley Tucci returns as Nigel, the true unsung hero of the Devil Wears Prada universe, still loyally standing by Miranda’s side (and in her shadow) all these years later. And then there’s Emily Blunt, back as, of course, Emily, who unsurprisingly manages to steal every single scene she’s in.

The new additions to the cast are just as charming. Simone Ashley plays Miranda’s newest assistant, Amari, and looks absolutely fabulous in the role, while Justin Theroux joins the cast as Benji, Emily’s eccentric and absurdly wealthy new boyfriend. Then, of course, there’s the icon that is Lucy Liu, playing a character very clearly inspired by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos.

Something I really enjoyed about this sequel is that it actually has something to say. So often, sequels feel like they exist just for the sake of it, without much depth behind what’s shown on screen. The Devil Wears Prada 2 touches on a very relevant topic in today’s world: the loss of so many jobs and creative outlets in favour of replacing them with AI. It’s a scary reality we live in and observe every day: articles written by AI, ads and even movies being generated by AI, and it does make you wonder whether we’re witnessing the decline of the creative world right in front of our eyes. Much like the first one, this movie makes sure that it leaves you with not just a good few laughs and fashion looks to swoon over, but with a strong message to think about as you leave the cinema.

One of the lines from the original movie that hits the hardest for me is when Nigel tells Andy: "Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. Means it's time for a promotion." In the sequel, a quote that expresses a very similar sentiment about the sacrifices you must take in order to be successful in your job really stuck with me. When telling Andy that she should take the offer and write the biography on her, Miranda says: "You should write it. And you should keep all the juicy bits in. How impatient I am and demanding and imperious. And, you know...how much of my children's lives I've missed. Just put it all in there. Because people should know. They should know there's a cost. But boy, I love working, I really do."

And that, I think, encapsulates both Miranda and Andy as characters, as we've seen them across two movies and twenty years.