Rating:
Summary: Twenty years have passed, and it's great to get the old gang back together again. But more than just a nostalgia trip, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an entertaining and well-put-together comedy with an important message.
I have to be upfront with you. I was never a fan of the original "The Devil Wears Prada". I enjoyed the film, and I've seen it at least three times already, but it's not a movie that grabs my attention - it's not a movie I want to come back to time and time again, like say Meryl Streep's Kramer vs. Kramer or Anne Hathaway's "Interstellar". Okay, those weren't comedies, but I would feel the same about "She Devil" or "The Princess Diaries". A bias against comedies about the fashion industry? Nope, as I love watching "13 Going on 30" (or "Suddenly 30", depending on your region). It feels like I'm starting this review by badmouthing the original - not at all. It's still a good movie for me, a movie others might consider great (and I respect that), but just not one that's on my list of "must watch at least once a year" movies.
So, as someone not clouded overly by nostalgia, I think I'm probably best placed to review the sequel.
Twenty years in the making, "The Devil Wears Prada 2" reunites all of the main cast and many of the side characters. That's probably enough to earn fans of the first film a solid 3.5 stars alone. Not for me, the sceptic, though. What I wanted to see was a light, entertaining movie that also has a heartfelt message at its core, like the original.
The plot of the new film is strikingly simple. The Runway, not immune to the decline of print media and the new challenges of the online, social media age, is still being run by Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep). A crisis occurs at Runway, and Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) steps back in as the new features editor to try to save the fashion publication. Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) is still Miranda's ever-loyal right-hand man, while Emily Charlton's (Emily Blunt) new job reverses the power dynamic between Miranda and her former assistant.
One of the themes of the original film was best encapsulated by a conversation between Miranda and Andy, when the latter was still being very dismissive about the importance of fashion (the "cerulean sweater" monologue), that even if you don't think fashion is important to you, it is something you cannot escape, and the tremendous amount of good work that goes into producing a magazine like Runway by a large group of very talented people. This was the aspect of the first film that most resonated with me, and it has become even more relevant twenty years later. The decline of traditional media due to the need to compete with short attention spans, social media, and now AI, the pressure to attract "views", pressure to be profitable from corporate owners only concerned about the bottom line - it makes you even more appreciative of just how much artistry and expertise have been lost in this new age of fast media.
This is now the main theme of "The Devil Wears Prada 2", and it's a timely shift from the "fish out of water", "career versus family" main themes of the first film. Without wanting to spoil any part of the movie, suffice it to say, the film ends up being a clarion call to protect the artistry behind how media used to be produced, when professionals spent countless hours of overtime to meticulously produce curated content that shapes every aspect of our society, whether it's a fashion spread or a piece of hard-hitting journalism. Ten-second attention spans, engagement baiting, and AI slop have traditional media on its knees, so it was uplifting to see a movie in 2026 trying to fight for the right side. And who better than to have someone like Miranda on your side!
The movie does an admirable job in adapting the expected changes that have occurred in the last 20 years, from the changing media landscape to where the main characters are after all of this time. What it does really well is to limit these changes to ensure everything remains consistent. Miranda's behaviour, for example, is now inhibited by new HR rules that didn't exist 20 years ago (for which we now take for granted), but much of her cruel and intimidating nature remains. Andy is now in a better, more confident place, but her unbridled enthusiasm is unchanged. The same goes for Nigel and Emily - circumstances have changed, but deep down, they are still the same people many fell in love with two decades ago.
As with the first movie, the outstanding performances of "The Prada 4" elevate this movie to the next level. What's more impressive is that even after 20 years, all of them have nailed their characters - it feels like they've only left the role for 20 months, not 20 years. Other than Tracie Thoms as Lily, most of the supporting characters from the first movie haven't returned. Instead, we get a host of new supporting characters and the expected celebrity cameos. Justin Theroux is a highlight, obviously having a lot of fun as the Jeff Bezos inspired billionaire Benji Barnes. Australia's own Patrick Brammall stars as Andy's new love interest.
David Frankel returns as director, and he's managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice with the direction of this film - again, the theme here is change, but not too many changes. It feels like the same briskly paced, sharp-tongued film as the original. There are those unavoidable nostalgic fan service elements, but they do not happen at great frequency, and most serve the story, as opposed to being out of place. Not much time is wasted in rehashing what happened in the first movie, so it's worth revisiting (or visiting) that movie before seeing this one.
Fans of the original will find it hard not to love this sequel, even if you discount the nostalgia factor. For other sceptics like myself, it's worth giving this movie a chance, even if you didn't like the first one - I, for one, like this sequel better than the original. It is a technically well-done comedy, with some excellent performances, and it has an important message at its core that I hope we all take to heart.
"The Devil Wears Prada 2" is in Australian cinemas on 30 April 2026. Australian streaming release date: TBA
