The Devil Wears Prada 2: Repentance or Salvation?

The Devil Wears Prada has been a movie night classic; from female self-discovery to the complexities of the fashion world, we were as changed as Andy Sachs was. It changed the narrative that fashion was simply a superfluous interest, but that it did represent jobs and history that even Andy was ignorant to. And what we loved so much about Andy was the complexity of her character within a world that was forcing her to choose one thing or another, as if being a hard-working driven woman was something fixed or limited. 

Andy proved that a woman was not some tool or extension of her choices, but was independent from that. Andy as a woman was not Miranda’s assistant or Nate’s girlfriend, but she was entirely fulfilled by her own ambitions and desires. This became the pivotal moment that led Andy to leave those two ‘versions’ of herself and go on to discover who Andy Sachs is. While we don’t see that discovery till the end, we are the rollercoaster of emotions of being pulled this way and that way. 

Ultimately, this movie reflected the complexities of what is expected of a driven woman in society. Where her pursuits are seen as selfish when it comes to personal relationships, and seen as ‘never enough’ when it comes to professional relationships. And this is no accident, while Miranda Priestly is a woman herself, she embodies the ‘male’ role of belittling “silly girls” and only viewing their physical worth such as referring to Andy as “the smart, fat girl”. Does this mean that for a woman to climb to the leadership role imply that she must therefore suppress her femininity? 

And if Miranda choosing her profession inherently implies she chooses ‘masculinity’, then what does Andy suggest by choosing herself? Perhaps, it is showing that she will not subject herself to choosing her femininity or masculinity to keep, but not defining ‘Andy’. And this world of magazines is about the image and definition behind the obvious print and paper. It is about the people behind the paper and the image they project onto the paper, and as Andy ran away from and Miranda stood on: power is in itself a full-time job. 

As formidable as the ‘devil’ may have seemed in the first movie, Miranda seems to have found her weakness: her age going backwards from modern times. Still working her leader role as Editor-in-Chief of “Runway” magazine, this sequel has taken a more technological approach rather than the exploration of the feminine identity we know and love to be the first film. And the audience had a lot to say about the change in direction. Modern Miranda is degraded to fits about flying coach and living on a budget, ignorant to the Miranda that stood her ground in a predominantly male field. 

But the plot was not only focusing on a more superficial aspect, critics were quick to call the plot repetitive and ‘nostalgia-bait’. Once again, we see Andy chasing Miranda’s approval, but this time it feels wrong for both characters. Miranda is not the fierce and withstanding character but materialistic and ‘replaceable’, so why is Andy chasing her and wasn’t the whole point of the first movie for Andy to gain her self-confidence and self-worth apart from Miranda? 

And of course, as a film centred around fashion many were quick to judge the fashion portrayed in the ‘today’s’world. Instead of the iconic and archival pieces of history that were dissected in the first film (we will never look at cerulean blue the same again), we were given quiet luxury meets minimalism. While it’s fair to say that these themes have taken over recent fashion, it is not what we crave out of a dramatic film about fashion! We expect to be left speechless over the unattainable, like we’re watching a fashion week. 

And in other ways, this film was entirely unrelatable, with the plain surface-level emotional depth, we lacked the empathy and sincerity of the first film. Seeing ourselves as women in the working field trying to manage both professional and personal relationships while at the same time pursuing our own desires. 

While we always go on and on about wanting a sequel for any great film favourites, there comes a point where we don’t always need one. Why taint a great story for the sake of the check or bringing back the cast to waste it on a rushed and random prequel or remake? Which brings us to the green flags of the film. Where we do have an iconic cast return and be brought together by the memory and reputation of the film. 

While Andy may not have been ecstatic to see Miranda, we were more than satisfied to see them in the same room again. Because while the film as a whole lacked emotional depth, the main cast has an unmatched chemistry they bring to the cameras. One of the characters that was cheered the loudest is of course Emily Charlton, played by Emily Blunt, whose karma was returned for not being able to go to Paris. Not to worry, she makes her comeback as a fierce and influential executive with her signature comedic relief and bold fashion choices. 

The relevance to the themes of the first movie is questionable, but the relevance of the themes as they stand independently, are important and crucial to today’s times. Where the print media industry is suffering, and this brings the necessary awareness to that. Along with the overconsumption of PR crisis and drama circulating public figures, this film shows how fragile privilege truly is. Ultimately, the numbers can’t lie. This film was a major success, as the excitement and news of the sequel was commercially famous and everyone had to see it. So as the film ranked in the top five highest-grossing films of 2026 in a matter of days, this film proves to be one you do have to see, so get your tickets and head to the cinema! 

Written By: Sophia Arceo, @sophiearceo

Edited By: Kirsten Baldwin, @teddys_bookshelf