Fired from her role at the New York Vanguard via a group text chain, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) begins the film at rock bottom: no job, no income, no direction. This professional freefall leads her back to the notorious Runway magazine, a return to her roots and consequently, to the gruelling, cruel expectations of the legendary Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). The Devil Wears Prada 2 is generally sharp and entertaining.
As the protagonists travel through the architectures of Milan, lakeside mansions of Lake Como, and skyscrapers of Manhattan, the film successfully recaptures all the elegance and glamour of its classic predecessor. Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton similarly taps back into the hilarity of the first film. Now Dior’s Head of Sales, Emily’s meditative rituals, impetuous breakdowns and ability to slide back into the old, thorny dynamics with her past colleague Andy are hilarious and provide a nostalgic, surprisingly whole-some take on their friendship.
Similarly, Stanley Tucci shone in this sequel. Nigel’s growing seniority in the company, finally allowed by Miranda to speak on behalf o f Runway, was truly heartwarming. This, in addition to his workplace alliance with protagonist Andy, positioned Nigel at the heart of this sequel.
Where this script stumbled, however, was its navigation of workplace politics twenty years on. Attempting to modernize Miranda Priestly, the film positioned the unreasonably demanding boss as a victim of cancel culture. Twenty years on at Runway, audiences are supposed to laugh at Miranda as she is called out by her latest assistant (Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley) for bodyshaming, classism and her viral sweatshop affiliations.
These jokes, however, fall flat as the film tries to appease viewers’ various politics— leaning into those who feel that cultural sensitivity has gone too far yet also reiterating its feminist moral. Re-hired by Runway for her passionate outburst at her awards night, Andy Sachs is once again applauded for her enduring independence and newfound confidence. The film’s career driven women are positioned against tech-billionaire Benji Barnes, the embodiment of the anti-humanity, AI forward values which this film intensely criticises.
The film’s career driven women are positioned against tech-billionaire
This feminist moral directive, however, is undermined by underdeveloped boyfriend, Peter. We are, of course, given shockingly little information about Peter, besides his Australian nationality and profession as a contractor. This addition of a love interest is confusing; if this film truly applauds Miranda and Andy’s drive and ambition, why give Andy an, often irrelevant boyfriend, or a partner at all?
In an attempt to champion the artistic and human in an increasingly impersonal world, The Devil Wears Prada 2, struggles, becoming a confusing jumble of feminist aspiration, anti-AI sentiment that (ironically) still relies on plus-sized women as punchlines and irrelevant love interests.