I’ve seen a lot of horror in my day: Body parts being ripped off, elderly people walking off cliffs, witches mortar and pestling babies, men being torn apart by chainsaws and more cannibalism than the average person should see in one lifetime. And yet, perhaps the most frightening thing I’ve ever witnessed is in the opening stretch of The Devil Wears Prada 2.
While at an awards gala, Andy Sachs and the rest of her reporting team get simultaneously laid off on a whim by a rich asshole through text. This would sound outlandish and ridiculous if it weren’t seemingly happening every few weeks across New York City and the world at large. Journalism, and media in general, is at death’s door (at least when it comes to large conglomerates buying up companies and destroying them piece by piece), and TDWP2 doesn’t beat around the bush.
The early scenes of The Devil Wears Prada 2 appear to have been designed in a lab to make critics and journalists break out in stress hives. You could hear the shudders of recognition at my press screening as we watched Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) learn that she and all her colleagues at the New York Vanguard newspaper had been fired right as they were receiving awards for their journalism. -Vulture, Bilge Ebiri
It’s frankly a bold start for the Meryl Streep-Anne Hathaway sequel 20 years in the making, and is’s a bit of a warning for what’s to come. Yes, your favorite characters will be back. But things aren’t as lush and fun as they once were. Even Miranda Priestly has to kowtow to brands and publicity. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna has certainly read a thinkpiece or a thousand over the last two decades.
The problem is that this all doesn’t make for a very compelling movie … at least the way this sequel tries to tie everything together. Especially since the two-hour juggling act is trying to please everybody at the same time, ultimately falling short of whatever it was aiming for.
Ever since this first teaser, featuring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep back in the Runway elevator, I was pretty worried for TDWP2. This felt fan service-y, a bit like a Super Bowl commercial and most importantly, looked much, much worse than the 2006 always-on-TBS hit.
Thankfully, the 2026 blockbuster isn’t just a Disney live-action retread but a new story that is trying to take on media monopolies, Jeffrey Bezos-MacKenzie Scott matrimonial disputes, gerontocracy, woke culture and #girlbossing too close to the sun. There’s also a rom-com (without the comedy part, centering on an apartment renovator, which all feels rushed and aimless). Emily Blunt’s Emily Charlton works at Dior and is conniving, I guess. Plus, there’s B.J. Novak, whom I can’t stand. No real reason behind that one; sometimes hate runs on vibes.
It’s tough to analyze a movie that feels like it’s been run through the wringer over and over again, in which protagonists (most notably Anne Hathaway’s Andrea) change their characters on a whim, depending on what the story needs. And worst of all, because of the miniseries-esque plot shoved into a two-hour movie, there isn’t much to laugh at.
It’s tough to make light of how overwhelming the world constantly feels, but maybe just don’t make this movie if there’s nothing to hold onto.
But, of course, they were going to make this movie, because it’s going to make so much money. The movie led last weekend’s box office and has made $233 million worldwide in its opening days. And the cultural tie-ins and product placement probably made 20th Century Studios its money back before the first screening.
Jumping back a second: Right after the journalists lose their jobs, they all go out for drinks. And they make sure to frame their Stella Artois beers right towards the camera, which feels right for this entire movie.
It’s product placement wrapped up in an op-ed, gussied up to look like a sequel with just enough references to satiate fans of the original. I respect that it’s not a copy-and-paste job, but that doesn’t mean it’s a success.
As well as this sequel’s doing now, I don’t see it holding up the way the first one does. There are few memorable scenes, other than a few Stanley Tucci gems and little to chuckle at. Most importantly, everything moves too fast for staying power. Like, did anyone really care how much the entire plot hinges on Irv Ravitz? Do you even know who Irv Ravitz is? Even if you’ve seen the movie, who’s Irv Ravitz?
Ultimately, the entire production is held together by duct tape and Anne Hathaway somehow looking like she stepped out of a time machine from 2006. And to be fair, this is essentially Top Gun: Maverick for moms, so it only feels right that I end this write-up with a review from my mom, Caryn Gottfried. Here’s what she had to say:
The Devil Wears Prada 2 was highly anticipated - and my hopes for a sequel that was as good as the first were not met. I did enjoy No. 2, mostly the references to the first. i.e., when Nigel gives Andy the clothes. It shows a gentler, less fierce Runway. Wish there was more Nigel - and wished they told us where Nate is. Spoiler alert!
Well, that’s that. A Prada expert has spoken. A million moms would kill for this job.
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