THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Tracie Thoms, B.J. Novak, Caleb Hearon, Helen J Shen, and Patrick Brammall
Director: David Frankel
AMARÚ
The ironic truth about this sequel is that it’s the movie equivalent of the surface-level, clickbait culture that this film states journalistic integrity should fight against. David Frankel’s breakneck direction breezes through easily solved, rose-colored problems sprinkled amongst celebrity cameos in favor of digging into the glimpses of its nuanced story of balance. A balance that underutilized performances from Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley and Patrick Brammall prove can merge nostalgia and evolution with depth. While that nostalgia will undoubtedly work for fans, I wish this was a natural evolution of the 2006 film instead of a diluted, copied, and pasted 2026 version.
PAIGE
20 years may have passed, but the Devil Wears Prada 2 ensemble effortlessly slips right back into their characters’ shoes as if no time has passed. The film accurately portrays the changing and evolving state of media and the fight to keep it alive. While its script may not be as strong or as sharp, the cast finds a way to make the dialogue quippy and sassy. Prada 2 is a light and charming delight that fans of the original will quite enjoy. It may not be as good as the first movie, but it’s certainly a worthy sequel.
ADRIANO
I respect a sequel that chooses a different route than its predecessor, switching gears to a critique of how soulless journalism has become. But, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an aggressively ok film. I don’t love the first like others do, but I’ve always been bothered about how such a grounded film is treated like a Tumblr post. Here, it leans into that legacy, but not always to a fault. It’s nice seeing these actors slip back into these roles with ease, and while nothing about this is remarkable, its sincerity is a nice relief for a cash grab.
BODE
If The Devil Wears Prada was an exploration of how much it costs to be good at your job, its long-awaited sequel is an exploration of how that doesn’t really matter anymore because of corporate consolidations. It can’t help but pale in comparison off that premise alone. Still, director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna manage to recapture most (if not all) of its predecessor’s charm without devolving too much into nostalgia, and it’s a treat to watch the main cast play off each other once more with ease. As a genuine fan of the original film, this satisfied me.
