The Devil Wears Prada 2 review: Filled with nostalgia, sequel sticks the landing and is a must-watch

MOVIE REVIEW

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt

Rated M

In cinemas Now

Review Sienna Seychell

Verdict 4/5

Growing up, I adored the movie The Devil Wears Prada, and I still do.

Now a journalist myself, when I re-watch the 20-year-old movie it reminds me how eager I am to work my way up to New York one day.

As the credits rolled, I always felt inspired and empowered, and seeing the much-anticipated sequel rekindled this determination in me.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits cinemas this week, and is sure to attract massive audiences eager to see where the story goes.

It is a pleasure to see Meryl Streep step back into the designer shoes of Miranda Priestly. As part of the movie’s promotion, she broke the internet when she graced the cover of Vogue with the magazine’s global editorial director Anna Wintour — the person Miranda was based on to begin with.

Streep is again joined by the talented Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, now a journalist who is no longer so naive, dealing with a changing media landscape with confidence.

The film highlights the way the media industry is changing, and touches on the evolution of artificial intelligence, threatening the takeover of multi-million-dollar industries like the fictional magazine Runway.

It’s a movie relevant to its time, and it hasn’t lose its original spark. Miranda, once a boss who was spoilt rotten by her staff, is now left to hang up her own coat.

Her new assistant, Amari, played by Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley, keeps Miranda in line, correcting her use of outdated and potentially offensive terms, and helping her avoid any HR complaints.

This sequel has plenty of what we expect — people-pleasing from Andy, and dissatisfaction from Miranda — and lands exactly where it’s supposed to.

The song which opened the original movie, KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See, also makes a reappearance, and left me reminiscing on the original.

There’s plenty of Prada, Chanel, Dior and other designer brands on-screen, which left me with a craving for luxury.

And yes, there are some unrealistic moments, but that’s Hollywood, and this sequel is full of nostalgia.

Australian Patrick Brammall plays Andy’s love interest, and although their story is barely touched on, it doesn’t feel unnatural or forced, and it’s great to see an Australian on screen in such a big movie.

Stanley Tucci is also back in classic form playing Nigel. His use of millennial and gen Z terms provide some laughs, and is not overdone. At one point, when Nigel said “Slay”, my dad turned to me and asked for an explanation. I shook my head in disappointment.

It’s satisfying to see Nigel get his moment of glory in the sequel, denied him in the original.

Ahead of its premiere, the hype for this film was strong, with women of all age groups coming together, as with the juggernaut that was Barbie, and the electric energy around the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Andy’s much-ridiculed cerulean sweater is also back, cut up into a vest by the end of the film, closing a chapter and starting a new fashion cycle.

Inspired and satisfied, I will be watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 again.

It’s a definite must-watch this autumn.