5 hours ago
2
Up to a certain point, there is something singularly 2026 about The Devil Wears Prada 2, a movie torn between two masters. First, there’s the need to satisfy those who have memorized the original 2006 film, thanks to basic cable and streaming. Then, there’s the desire to reflect the cruel reality of the media industry today, a world the once formidable Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) dominated. The movie ends up being far more successful at the first thing than the second, but that’s because crafting a happy ending out of today’s publishing apocalypse is tougher than staying upright on five-inch heels.
This long-awaited if inessential sequel opens with former assistant turned SeRIouS JoUrnalIst Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) receiving an award for SeRiOUs JoURnalIsM — just as she gets laid off by text message alongside all of her fellow reporters. After her fiery speech at the awards ceremony gets traction on social media, Runway owner Irv (Tibor Feldman) decides to hire her — without Miranda’s approval — as Runway’s new features editor. Miranda is less than thrilled with this, but she’s also under fire for an embarrassing editorial screw-up, so Andy’s hiring becomes one of many problems she’s dealing with.
From there, the screenplay (once again written by Aline Brosh McKenna) tidily adapts the plot beats of the original film to this new scenario. Andy once again struggles in her new role at the company, but gets a new burst of motivation after a blunt reminder from the ever-loyal Nigel (Stanley Tucci) that she took this job for a reason, and she should stop complaining about it.
The tide turns once she manages to get the impossible get (in 2006, this was a copy of the upcoming Harry Potter book; 20 years later, Andy’s desperate for an interview with an elusive socialite). And the comparisons don’t stop there: We of course get a scene in which Nigel loans Andy piles of couture; there’s even a recreation of the first movie’s “Vogue” montage featuring multiple outfits, but set at Milano Fashion Week with multiple cast members involved. Why? Because it’s cool and Madonna gave them the song rights again, one presumes. Unfortunately, it misses the point of the original sequence, which captured Andy’s rising confidence as a fashion-forward assistant; in this context, it’s just a fashion show about going to fashion shows.
Speaking of the soundtrack, Lady Gaga makes three contributions in terms of original songs, with the best easily being “Runway,” her very disco collaboration with Doechii — the other two tracks aren’t quite as memorable but fall into line style-wise with her recent output.
Mother Monster is also one of the literal dozens of celebrity cameos scattered throughout the movie, though few make a huge impression. Perhaps that’s because the stars of the original movie have only gotten more famous over the years, with Emily Blunt in particular becoming the biggest breakout since 2006. Accordingly, bringing her character back for the sequel felt like a requirement, and the movie’s relatively clever about figuring out the best ways to implement her as a foil for both Andy and Miranda.
Emily does get many of the movie’s best lines, including a jab at Andy about her inability to suppress any of her emotions. It’s a valid note because (and I say this as a generally pro-Hathaway person) Andy can be a little much. Between her enthusiasm for the aforementioned SeRiOUs JoURnalIsM and her efforts to always do the right thing (which always feel a bit ego-driven), it’s once again easy to see how she keeps getting in her own way, even with 20 extra years of life experience. At least her chemistry with new love interest Peter (Patrick Brammall) sparkles — and thank god Peter works in real estate, sparing us from one of the worst cliches of movies about journalism.
Meryl Streep was Oscar-nominated for her role in the first movie (not an easy thing for a comedy performance) and she’s once again brilliant in navigating all the various layers of such an imposing character, allowing Andy (and the audience) to see a touch more of her human side. However, the sequel takes almost too much visceral pleasure in the little ways it finds to weaken Miranda, whether it be the pressure to criticize her staff in more HR-pleasing ways or the kind of budget cuts that reduce her to (gasp!) flying coach.
At least she always looks fabulous, or is meant to look fabulous. A note about the fashion of this movie, which echoes the first movie in one key regard: There are many articles of clothing worn on screen that are objectively fabulous and craveable. There are also many outfits that are fugly as hell. Considering that the overlap between those interested in reading a Devil Wears Prada 2 review and those who remember the show Sex and the City is probably pretty big, I feel safe making this reference: Ladies, remember when Carrie Bradshaw would wear something absolutely nuts and we were meant to understand that that is just what fashion people in New York wear? Same deal.
In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada had no conception of being a time capsule for the golden days of magazine publishing — the might of Runway (and by extension, Miranda) was accepted as an rock-solid fact. The sequel’s choice to engage so directly with the way things have changed for the industry is technically a smart one. Except that after devoting so much screen time to the harsh truths about the state of “#content,” McKenna and director David Frankel still want a happy ending, and the one they come up with is a real deus ex machina move.
It’s kind of like making a movie about the real tragedies of climate change, and ending it with the reveal of a magic machine that will fix everything, at least for now. Maybe by the time The Devil Wears Prada 3 becomes a possibility, these industries will draw fewer comparisons to the sinking of the Titanic. Though these days, it feels equally likely that The Devil Wears Prada 3 will be released directly to Instagram Stories, in two-minute vertical chunks. At least the clothes will be… interesting.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 sashays into theaters on Friday, May 1st.
English (US) · 