The Devil Wears Prada 2 First Reviews: A Worthy, Entertaining Sequel that Offers More Than Just Nostalgia
Critics say the return of Andy Sachs and Miranda Priestly is a well-crafted bit of escapism, even if it isn't quite as biting as the original.
Arriving 20 years after the original, The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters this Friday, and the first reviews are now online. Fans of the original are sure to enjoy the long-awaited return of Meryl Streep’s Oscar-nominated, fictionalized send-up of Anna Wintour, as well as Anne Hathaway’s Andy and Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci in their supporting roles. But anyone looking for more substance from the sequel may be disappointed.
Here’s what critics are saying about The Devil Wears Prada 2:
Does it live up to the original?
The Devil Wears Prada 2 not only justifies its return but rewards longtime fans with a funny, heartfelt ride through nostalgia.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Hey, it might even be an improvement on that first flick.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
Effortlessly chic and consistently entertaining, it’s hard to imagine any fan of the original film walking away unsatisfied.
— Yasmine Kandil, Discussing Film
You are unlikely to be disappointed… [The] sequel hits familiar beats that fans will eat up.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s nice to reunite with old characters that we love [and] witness a healthy dose of fan servicing.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
This sequel, for good long stretches, feels like old times — even if it’s hard to imagine fans of its predecessor cherishing repeat viewings to quite the same extent.
— Guy Lodge, Variety
Fans may not find it the superior film in terms of tight storytelling, but it is a deeply enjoyable, worthy follow-up.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
When it comes to fashion and cinema, imitations may sell, but nothing beats an original.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
But is it necessary?
The Devil Wears Prada 2 succeeds where many legacy sequels stumble; it finds a reason to exist beyond nostalgia.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
This legacyquel still more than justifies its existence by expanding out from the original’s fashion magazine to the world of print journalism at large, mining more mature emotional content that reflects the many years that have passed since the original.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Unlike most long-delayed sequels that lean too heavily on “remember this?” nostalgia and ultimately fall flat, this film earns its place.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
The sequel is already so last season, despite its fast fashion grasp at relevancy. Unlike the original, it doesn’t have what it takes to stick around.
— Siddhant Adlakha, JoySauce.com
Is its fan service effective?
We get several nods to the original film that strike the right balance of reverence and nostalgia rather than simply hitting beats of remembrance.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
It understands what made the original resonate in the first place, while updating its message for a new era.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
The movie goes out of its way to give us the fans what we want with winks at “florals for spring,” renewed old grudges, and emotional awakenings.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
Personally, I appreciated the many, many callbacks to the original film — so much nostalgia. Watching the sequel felt like spending time with family.
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
It’s a sequel made with intelligence and respect for both its predecessor and the legions who still love it, so much so that it functions less as a follow-up than as a kind of tribute act.
— Guy Lodge, Variety
Will it actually appeal to journalists?
In a world where journalists and critics continue to lose access and job security, the film becomes a reflection on the fight to preserve journalistic integrity.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Parent Company. Merging. Downsizing. Content. If you find any of these words and phrases triggering, well, you at least have a supposed ally in this sequel.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
For anyone who works in the contracting media space, Prada 2 may actually feel too close for comfort.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
Hathaway gets to deliver the film’s single allotted f-bomb, which is meaningfully deployed: “Journalism still f–king matters!”
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
How is the script?
The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers a screenplay that feels deeply connected to these beloved characters. While it leans into nostalgia, Brosh McKenna also has something timely to say.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
It’s clear they were waiting for the right script and, apart from an unnecessary and miscast love interest for Andy, McKenna has come through in spades.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
McKenna, working this time without the safety net of direct source material, has composed a shiny soap-bubble satire of a doom-laden cultural and journalistic landscape. As bubbles go, this one is easy to burst, but what it reflects back at us isn’t too far removed from the truth.
— Justin Chang, The New Yorker
[McKenna] taps into the current zeitgeist without sacrificing authenticity. The result is something that feels both fresh and familiar, retaining the sharpness that made the original movie so enduring.
— Yasmine Kandil, Discussing Film
While Brosh McKenna smartly ensures that the issues impeding the characters’ progress have matured alongside them, that can’t stop the film from feeling like a retread of the first.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Certain story beats feel forced as the script works to bridge the chronological gap, and the film occasionally loses momentum toggling between corporate commentary and character drama.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
A tighter script would have stopped the middle section from feeling like the movie is spinning its wheels.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Is it funny?
Unsurprisingly, this sequel is wildly witty and has no trouble drawing consistent laughter from viewers.
— Yasmine Kandil, Discussing Film
The comedic sequences land brilliantly.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
Could it use more substance?
The movie is best when it sticks to fluffy, fun nostalgia rather than shooting for substance.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The Devil Wears Prada, for all its pretensions to be About Something, is really just a finely-tuned bit of escapist fluff, and the sequel follows suit.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Beneath the glitz and glamour is a more sentimental core than the original.
— Yasmine Kandil, Discussing Film
While there are some fun moments, some biting comments, and some sarcastic lines, there is a serious social commentary on the state of print media and the transition to an online presence.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
Nobody going into the sequel would expect it to be (or even want it to be) a tome on modern venture capitalism, but characters constantly hint at the shifting digital landscape in ways that threaten to further complicate the story. Unfortunately, this never really happens.
— Siddhant Adlakha, JoySauce.com
You can’t help but wish that this edition of the story was a bit more… groundbreaking.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
How is Meryl Streep’s return as Miranda Priestly?
Streep’s rare sequel return finds new spins on Miranda, with cracks in her icy exterior being broken far earlier than in the original film.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
Streep’s light touch, even with physical comedy like Miranda struggling with the overheads, is impeccable.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Streep is an old pro at elevating a screenplay, and she does so here with elegant ease, finding lovely grace notes to paint a full portrait of this once-unstoppable woman just realizing she may be on the decline.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Streep is Streep, and we can’t think of a higher compliment to pay her than that.
— David Fear, Rolling Stone
Streep’s second go-round… unfolds as a series of micro-indignities — a plunge from her Olympian perch, one stumble at a time.
— Justin Chang, The New Yorker
Is the character still iconically cruel?
Don’t worry… Miranda still has more than enough glorious one-liners.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
Her Miranda may now be too familiar to be menacing, but the hushed, lacerating economy of her line readings, the glassy reserve of her body language, the layers of passive-aggressive meaning she compacts into one arched brow or tight half-smile all invite a kind of in-the-presence-of-greatness awe.
— Guy Lodge, Variety
She is a bit softened, but not entirely — she still reaches for an offensive remark or two as Miranda does. But while those quietly delivered insults are consistent with her character in the first movie, they feel underbaked here.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
The venom has been completely drained from Brosh McKenna’s pen. The insults in the first film stung, but here they merely poke; they’re good for a giggle, but you won’t hear people throwing around lines from this film in a decade.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Bigger than any structural issues is the conceptual problem of Miranda just not being any fun this time around… The character’s forcibly congenial tone is a product of the movie’s half-hearted commentary on changing times.
— Siddhant Adlakha, JoySauce.com
A neutered Miranda is a pointless Miranda… Miranda is far less caustic and scary than before and, consequently, a good deal less funny.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
How is Anne Hathaway’s performance this time?
Anne Hathaway once again proves herself to be the leading lady of a generation… She is such a genuine pleasure to watch in the role.
— Yasmine Kandil, Discussing Film
Hathaway once again shoulders Andy’s mix of steeliness and flightiness with consummate grace, and her shifting perspective reshapes our own prejudices.
— Justin Chang, The New Yorker
Hathaway is effortlessly charming.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Hathaway is radiant and chipper as ever.
— Siddhant Adlakha, JoySauce.com
Hathaway adds grit to her ingenue version of Andy Sachs, yet still maintains the sense of innocence and righteousness needed to make her an appropriate tour guide for the audience.
— David Fear, Rolling Stone
Do Blunt and Tucci get more of their own scene-stealing moments?
Tucci is the movie’s other MVP and gets many of McKenna’s best lines.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Stanley Tucci’s Nigel, Miranda’s bestie and longtime lieutenant, rises above the mawkish soup with the film’s most genuine performance.
— Julian Roman, MovieWeb
Blunt is having the most fun of anyone in the cast, stealing every scene just as she did in the original film.
— Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture
Emily Blunt isn’t necessarily stealing the show this time — though she remains as unfiltered as ever.
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Every time you think Blunt has hilariously stolen the movie from her co-stars, Streep, Hathaway, or Tucci pop up to remind you what powerhouses they are and steal it back.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
Are there any new cast additions worth mentioning?
Simone Ashley [is] the stand-out as Miranda’s first assistant, Amari, who isn’t just the “new Emily” and has a fun dynamic with Streep as Amari keeps Miranda in check.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Supporting characters like Jin (Helen J Shen), Amari (Simone Ashley) and Charlie (Caleb Hearon) are barely one-dimensional. They’re all surprisingly underwritten and underutilized, despite their opportunities for screen time where they could leave a mark.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Does it have any fun cameos?
Cameos from real-world fashion figures and A-listers cement the film as a love letter to the industry.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 even better, to some extent, is that Anna Wintour filmed a cameo.
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
There are some cameos and casting that seem a bit too “influencer” driven (slight cringe on two in particular).
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
Few make a huge impression. Perhaps that’s because the stars of the original movie have only gotten more famous over the years.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
How is the costume design?
I am by no means a fashionista, but even I can appreciate some of the outfits seen in the movie… The best of the best is featured, making the second film visually stunning.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
Many of the outfits are to die for… Costume designer Molly Rogers certainly deserves awards consideration.
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Molly Rogers, the film’s costume designer and a protégé of the legendary Patricia Field, who worked on the original, will certainly be in awards contention for her contribution. The cast and their costumes look absolutely incredible.
— Julian Roman, MovieWeb
The baroque absurdist touch that couture doyenne Patricia Field previously brought to the proceedings is missed, as is the way the clothes were showcased by the first film’s crisp, gleaming look.
— Guy Lodge, Variety
The fashion here gave me brief pauses… There is something stale about some of [Andy’s] pinstriped suits and looks.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
There are many articles of clothing worn on screen that are objectively fabulous and craveable. There are also many outfits that are fugly as hell.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Does the movie look good as a whole?
Visually, the film is a feast. The direction captures the high-octane gloss of the fashion world while grounding it in the sterile, high-stakes atmosphere of modern boardrooms.
— Michael Sowell, Nerdspin
Filming took place in Manhattan and Milan, so some of the visuals include incredible scenery.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
The journey is aesthetically pleasing, with a landscape fashioned by production designer Jess Gonchor and her impeccably crafted worlds.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Visually, the film rarely pushes beyond conventional framing, which feels ironic given the bold, stylized world it inhabits.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Are there any other major problems with the sequel?
A side plot involving Andy being commissioned to write a tell-all book on Miranda looms, heralding in the literal creation of the story that bears the film’s very name, is a bit too on the nose, and a very late in the film reconciliation feels unearned.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
Remind me, are we critiquing conspicuous displays of wealth or endorsing them? You could get whiplash trying to figure out where this movie stands on ostentatious luxury.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
After devoting so much screen time to the harsh truths about the state of “#content,” McKenna and director David Frankel still want a happy ending, and the one they come up with is a real deus ex machina move.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
What I found to be the biggest headscratcher in The Devil Wears Prada 2 is its seemingly happy resolution.
— Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
Should there be another one?
I don’t know if… there needs to be a threequel in this series, but this trio will always be in dépêche mode.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
A third film would require the right story — and the full ensemble — but whether or not that happens, The Devil Wears Prada 2 proves there’s still something vital — and relevant — left in Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel’s world.
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
These days, it feels equally likely that The Devil Wears Prada 3 will be released directly to Instagram Stories, in two-minute vertical chunks. At least the clothes will be… interesting.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
We’re not sure there will ever be another Devil Wears Prada installment, but be glad this one came along.
— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in theaters on May 1, 2026.
