A Sequel Worth Watching: The Devil Wears Prada 2

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 with my mom for Mother’s Day. As a journalist who is interested in fashion and speaks Italian, this movie checked all of my boxes.

Many times, sequels are a disappointing regurgitation of plot lines, caricatures of villains and heroes, and generally a waste of time and money. This was what I was expecting when I entered the theater, seeing little to no online hype around the film.

I could not have been more wrong. Maybe it was my low expectations that allowed me to enjoy the film so much, but to me the characters and writing were an incredible and realistic development. Our beloved Andy Sacks (Anne Hathaway) and villain Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) are just like me and the thousands of other journalists across the country who are being forced to rapidly evolve alongside the developing landscape of social media. 

The first movie is, in a way, a time capsule, preserving what used to be the competitive and lucrative magazine industry. Today, magazines are becoming more and more obsolete. The fact that you’re reading this in the paper is a kudos to you – even industry genius Miranda Priestly cannot keep up. I was so glad to see this change reflected in Andy’s world, instead of just ignored to preserve the glamour and glitz of its predecessors.

At the New York Press Association Spring Conference, talk of AI, social media, and consolidation were the central themes. Conversations spun on the axis of how to be relevant and stay relevant in a social media landscape that demands personality over merely reporting the facts.

Andy and Miranda’s characters stood as mirrors to one another, each facing the reality of the industry. Andy, who has pursued journalism for two decades and received numerous accolades for her work, has just lost her job. “Journalism still f***cking matters!” she says after being laid off from her job. Miranda, now humanized more so than the original film, is visibly stressed and anxious about the direction that the fashion world is taking. The two are now working together, rather than one lording power over the other. 

Andy and Miranda embody the core of both fashion and reporting, the heart of artists, the desire for truth, while also having a shallow safety net. The writing was brilliantly done and the actors succeeded in bringing the story to life, and even to the fashion capital of the world: Milan, Italy.

There are also a considerable amount of Easter eggs referencing the first film, from onion bagels to belts. As someone who watched the first movie countless times throughout my life, it was definitely a wink to the super-fans when Miranda Priestly can no longer throw her coat on her vulnerable assistants due to HR violations, and struggling to get through a meeting without offending any of her employees. 

I do think that there was no reason for Andy to have a romance side-plot with Peter (Patrick Brammall). The story was strong enough without a boyfriend and their story was not important for her character development, unlike the first movie. I felt the actors did not have convincing chemistry and it ate away at the screen time. 

For me, the costuming by Molly Rogers was good but could have been better. I loved the everyday looks of Andie and Miranda, but felt that the extra glam moments did not have the same “wow” factor as the first film did. There were lots of sparkles and studs, which to me are not reflective of today’s high end fashion industry. 

The music was also subpar. Pop and fashion have always gone hand and hand, as often we see pop stars trademarking looks and pushing the boundaries of fashion. Recently, we’ve seen this in stars such as Lady Gaga, Addison Rae and Pink Pantheress. While Gaga had a musical feature moment in the film, I did not feel the song reflected the message that the rest of the movie had created. Dua Lipa also had a song featured, and as someone who has seen her in concert, neither her fashion nor her music is pushing any boundaries in the way that pop music and fashion should. You hear her music shopping at Sears. We could’ve done better.

With both the music and the costuming, we needed Gen Z opinions to hit the nail on the head of what is currently culturally significant. New artists would have killed for that opportunity, and a little research on who is making moves would have reached wider audiences and made a bigger impact.

That being said, the writing, acting, and set were absolutely beautiful. After seeing the movie, I texted a bunch of friends that they just had to see it. This one is for people interested in fashion and the battle between art and technology. 

Overall, despite the critiques on music, costuming, and romance, I loved the film. The message and endless quotes (“You’re a vendor, not a visionary”) resonate with current events and fashion culture. The Devil Wears Prada 2 stimulates conversation, just as art should. “That’s all.”