The Devil Wears Prada 2
English - Comedy / Drama
120 mins
In Cinemas
Twenty years is a long time in fashion, an eternity in media.
When The Devil Wears Prada released, glossy magazines still dictated taste, editors held power, and assistants feared a ringing landline. The film rode that wave beautifully, powered by a deliciously controlled performance from Meryl Streep, while launching Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt into mainstream prominence.
Two decades later, The Devil Wears Prada 2 (DVP2) arrives in a world where attention spans are shorter than hemlines, “print is dead” is no longer a debate, while careers can end with just a notification.
The film wastes no time establishing this. On the evening of a journalism awards function, just before stepping up to receive an award, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) gets a text, her entire team has been laid off!
“Runway” is no longer the cultural force it once was. It is now playing catch-up in a digital-first world where survival depends on clicks, speed, and relevance. Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), once the quiet storm that commanded rooms, now finds herself navigating HR frameworks, corporate oversight, and a media mogul boss whose heir would rather burn the house down than inherit it.
This is where Andy re-enters. A moment of misfortune threatens to close Miranda’s chapter for good. Can Andy help Miranda stay relevant ?
DVP2 is at its best when it acknowledges how dramatically the world has shifted. The anxiety around digital disruption, shrinking attention spans, commodification of content, budget cuts is all very real.
Unfortunately, the film also seems determined to tick every contemporary box along the way— at the cost of depth. It gestures at ideas rather than exploring them, as if afraid that pausing too long might hurt engagement metrics. It almost feels Netflix algorithm driven, ticking a lot of the “boxes”.
There are narrative fillers. Andy’s past relationships are brushed aside, a new Australian boyfriend exists largely to occupy screen time. The film wants to comment on everything, from media collapse to generational shifts. But rarely stays long enough to say anything meaningful.
For a story that eventually shapes into corporate power struggles and a hostile takeover, the stakes are surprisingly polite. Anyone who has watched Succession knows how ruthless, messy, deeply personal these battles can get.
Here everything happens here in the background. This is probably where an opportunity was lost. Pitting a seasoned Miranda to match wits with the younger corporate honchos would surely a delicious prospect.
The cast is the minimum guarantee for the movie - Meryl Streep, even with little do in most of the first half reminds you why Miranda Priestly became iconic. When she finally steps into the spotlight in the latter portions, the film briefly finds its pulse again.
Anne Hathaway carries the emotional and narrative weight with assurance. Emily Blunt, unfortunately, feels underwritten—more a nostalgic callback than a fully realised presence. Stanley Tucci as Miranda's man friday Nigel continues to be effortlessly watchable, and yes, his suits deserve their own credit line.
Simone Ashley get’s decent screen time as Miranda’s latest “Emily”. Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, B.J Novak are all quite good in their small roles.
The production values are solid. Plenty of breathtaking shots of New York City and Milan to savour! The costumes are splendid…and the blue sweater is back!
The Devil Wears Prada 2 plays things safe, leans on familiarity, and trusts its cast to carry it through. If you walk in expecting a sharp, biting evolution of the original, this may feel underwhelming. If you walk in with tempered expectations, ready to revisit familiar characters in a very different world, it does just enough to hold your attention.
It is neither ground breaking nor disastrous. Just… appropriately dressed for the occasion.
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