The Devil Wears Prada 2 Review

Looking back at The Devil Wears Prada almost two decades later, it’s interesting to think about how the characters all reflected where the actors were in their careers. Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt were both rising stars, not unlike Andy and Emily. Stanley Tucci was a reliable supporting player who didn’t always get the credit he deserved, ala Nigel. Meryl Streep needed no introduction, but Miranda Priestly only made her more iconic. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, we not only see how the characters have evolved, but how they’ve adapted to a new landscape.

Media isn’t what it was in 2006, whether we’re talking about journalism or cinema. It doesn’t always matter how talented or hard-working you are. In a world where every media giant is owned by an even bigger giant, no one is safe from the chopping block, not even Miranda. As Miranda reconciles with her place at Runway, she gets a blast from the past with the return of Hathaway’s Andy. Of course, Miranda claims she doesn’t recognize her old assistant. While Miranda has gone through some changes, she’s still an icy diva.

Andy has also changed, even if there’s still a part of her who’s hopelessly chasing Miranda’s approval. Whether or not she achieves it, Andy is more on Miranda’s level this time, landing a job as the features editor at Runway. Emily has similarly etched out a position of power working at Dior. Nigel remains Miranda’s Number 2, but he’s more important to Runway than even his boss realizes. Although it’s fun seeing these actors reprise their roles, The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn’t just pick up where we left them twenty years ago. Andy and Emily, in particular, have grown more ambitious, enabling them to stand up to Miranda in ways they wouldn’t have in the past. That doesn’t mean they’re no longer terrified of her.

While Miranda doesn’t go soft in the sequel, we do see more humanity as she not only confronts the notion that her legendary run might be coming to an end, but the fashion empire she built may collapse with her. Beyond Runway, the very industry that Miranda has dedicated her life to may one day become unrecognizable, assuming we all just get replaced with AI. No machine can replace Mirada, but to tech bros and nepo babies who only see the world in numbers, that doesn’t compute. Streep conveys so much with her eyes alone here, showing us everything Miranda is experiencing rather than telling us.

Although The Devil Wears Prada 2 manages to mature the characters, it does fall into a few familiar legacy sequel traps. There aren’t as many memorable one-liners, with most of the jokes being callbacks. There are one too many cameos and supporting players who slow the plot down. Patrick Brammall is fairly forgettable as Andy’s love interest, but at least he’s not Nate. In the third act, one character also makes what some might call a controversial decision that’s perhaps a little too easily forgiven. Even with these hiccups, The Devil Wears Prada 2 feels like the right legacy sequel at the right time, building upon the original while simultaneously demonstrating how some things never go out of style. That’s all.