FILM REVIEW: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Stays Stylish and Sharp

Gird your loins. The second iteration of the iconic 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada is here, 20 years after its premiere. Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel have reunited to helm the film, with none other than Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly leading the pack, alongside returning costars: Anne Hathaway as Andrea (Andy) Sachs, Stanley Tucci as Nigel, and Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton. 

The film opens with a nod to the first: Andy wipes a foggy bathroom mirror and starts her day. Soon, we learn that Andy has become who she so desperately wanted to be: a real journalist. Andy accepts a journalism award for her work at The New York Vanguard, but during her speech, she reveals that her team has been fired and that the magazine is going under. This impassioned speech about the state of modern journalism goes viral, thrusting Andy into the spotlight and eventually back to Runway.  

Meanwhile, Miranda and Nigel find themselves in a scandal after a company featured in Runway is exposed for exploitative labor practices. The fallout is damaging as advertisers pull out, Runway’s credibility is threatened, and Miranda becomes the subject of cringey online memes. 

The film takes its time getting started to a fault – we’re all waiting for something exciting to happen. Andy utters a couple of “bruh’s” and “yo’s” that feel out of place, raising early concerns that the script might lean too heavily on Gen Z slang, putting Miranda at risk of uncharacteristic lines. 

However, the story picks up after Andy is tapped by Irv Ravits (Tibor Feldman), the chairman of Elias-Clark, the publishing company backing Runway, to lead features at the magazine and get things back on track. 

What follows is the long-awaited reunion of Miranda, Nigel, and Andy, a genuine payoff for fans and a demonstration of nuanced performances. Andy walks into Miranda’s office, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, expecting Miranda to be aware that her former assistant is stepping into a new leadership position at Runway. Of course, Miranda has no idea and coolly turns to Nigel for clarification as to who this woman is. Hathaway is excellent in this moment, shrinking into the terrified 23-year-old Andy, making herself small as the realization washes over her. 

To combat the scandal, Miranda and Nigel tell Andy they must go to one of their top advertisers to smooth things out. Lo and behold, we meet Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) again, who now holds a senior position at Dior and provides Runway with the advertising dollars it needs to stay alive. Blunt’s return as Charlton is one of the film’s highlights. She plays Emily with an icy composure, but there’s a depth to it, hinting at the few vulnerable moments we saw in the first film.  

Throughout the film, audiences see the hard-hitting truths about today’s economic reality, including billionaires consolidating power, the rise of AI, the constant threat of downsizing, and more. The commentary isn’t heavy-handed, though; it’s enough to clue viewers in on the plot lines and how much the landscape has changed since 2006. It would’ve been fun to remain in the glossy escapism land of the 2006 film, where the highest stakes were snagging the newest Chanel boots. This sequel still has that fantasy feel, but it also weaves in real-world pressure, establishing a strong foundation. 

Andy, frantically trying to make things work at Runway, chases interviews and scrambles to prove herself. While doing so, she reconnects with Nigel, who once again serves as a witty anchor, even if I personally had trouble hearing Tucci deliver the lines. Andy also develops a romance with Peter (Patrick Brammal), an Australian contractor, whom she meets while touring apartments. This storyline seems to send a message that women can have it all – a career, style, and love. But it falls flat, mostly due to the lack of chemistry between Brammal and Hathaway. Miranda also has a romantic storyline with Stuart (Kenneth Branagh), a classical musician, which feels more fleshed out than Andy’s, with stronger chemistry, landing better in light of Miranda’s divorce in the first film.

The film’s climax arrives when the group, Nigel, Emily, Miranda, and Andy, head to Milan for a Runway event that blends fashion with art and music, in an attempt to reaffirm the magazine’s status as a global tastemaker. The costumes, designed by Molly Rogers, are standout and mirror the iconic Paris sequence from the 2006 film. 

Betrayals, surprises, twists, and heartfelt moments unfold during the Milan trip. Miranda even repays Nigel for his years of loyalty with a meaningful gesture. Cinematically, this section stands out, with tracking shots and crash zooms that immerse audiences in the beauty of Milan. A major celebrity cameo also appears here, but it feels somewhat unnecessary, even as a huge fan of the celebrity myself.

Despite the betrayals and the feeling that Runway and Miranda might be finished, things start to turn around, and all ends well. Miranda and Andy have another car chat, echoing the end of the original film. In classic Miranda fashion, she is blunt and unapologetically honest. Miranda sees Andy for who she is, compliments her briefly, only to follow it with her usual sharp remarks. Miranda then speaks of her passion for work, a moment that lands powerfully, especially given Streep’s decades-long career and the society’s tendency to sideline women of a certain age. 

As a whole, McKenna and Frankel honor what fans love about Miranda: wit and sharpness. They don’t force her to be woke, but instead poke fun at how certain comments may land differently under today’s standards. 

There was an apprehension that this film might overreach, lean heavily on product placement, or become crowded with celebrity cameos. A red flag certainly rose when, within the first 15 or so minutes, audiences heard “A million girls would kill for a job like this.” Nevertheless, the film ultimately works as a continuation of the first, one that feels true to the characters and world. The celebrity cameos weren’t too overt, with appearances from Donatella Versace, Law Roach, Heidi Klum, and others, providing brief, playful moments that added to the story without losing focus. 

For us at The Pop Insider, and for anyone in media and publishing, the film will hit different, given the rise of digital media and the gradual decline of print. Yet the movie approaches this topic with a light touch, balancing cultural commentary with entertainment.

All in all, The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers great performances, fabulous costumes, and strong messages. The film may not live on in infamy for the next twenty years, but it still stands as an entertaining and satisfying sequel, worth revisiting when it arrives on streaming services.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is directed by David Frankel, written by Aline Brosh McKenna, and stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt. 

4/5 stars. That’s all.