Everyone’s favorite fashion icons have returned to the big screen in the highly anticipated sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, which hit theaters on May 1.
The sequel picks up two decades after the end of the first film, when Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) quits her job as Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) assistant, choosing instead to move to New York and pursue a career as a “serious” journalist. Despite being relentlessly bullied by Miranda and her fellow assistant, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), Andy rises to the occasion as Miranda’s assistant through sheer grit and determination. She even (somewhat unbelievably) collects copies of the then-unreleased final installment of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series for Miranda’s twin daughters.
Andy, now a prominent journalist, is laid off alongside every other reporter at her publication, just before accepting an award for her reporting. Her speech, which highlights the shifting tides of the journalism world, goes viral and garners support online, specifically for Andy’s impassioned finale: “journalism still f–ing matters.”
Similarly, Miranda faces some heat after a piece in Runway highlights a company that uses sweatshops as a source of labor. Determined to redeem the fashion magazine’s reputation, Andy is brought on by Runway’s owner Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) as the new features editor, without Miranda’s approval.
But most importantly, the film highlights a very real problem that many journalists are facing today: layoffs. As companies restructure and increasingly employ artificial intelligence, journalists across the world are being replaced. The film doesn’t shy away from current worries for many journalists, but rather uses these fears to drive the conflict, effectively so.
When Runway is inherited by the owner’s son Jay Ravitz (B. J. Novak), the magazine also faces immense restructuring and budget cuts. As Andy navigates the shifting world of journalism, from one dying publication to another, she strives to save Runway.
The glitz, glam and fast-paced nature of the fashion industry then takes center stage as Andy navigates her new role, and Miranda finds a way to keep readers interested in the print magazine, which is declining in sales.
In a world where sequels often rehash broken-down beloved characters and destroy hard-earned development, it was satisfying to see Andy as a successful, older, more confident woman in her career. The work ethic and perseverance she developed in the first film were a vital part of her character throughout the sequel, especially as she works to “earn” her flowers as the new features editor. Andy does this the only way she knows how: through writing.
Those “more serious” feature stories — much to Miranda’s dismay — help Andy land an interview with Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu), a prolific celebrity who hasn’t done an interview in over three years after a public divorce. This scene was the first of many where we see the playing field level between the two characters. Whereas the power imbalance between boss and assistant was a vital plot point in the first film, the collaboration between Miranda and Andy to save Runway was vital in this one.
The film is, no doubt, just as funny and witty as its predecessor. Miranda humorously struggles to hang her own coat every morning, in stark contrast to the first film, when she would trust it upon her assistants’ desks to handle. During staff meetings, Miranda must also learn to filter her favored insults, now no longer acceptable in the corporate world.
With the realistic, grounded plot in the glamorous, high-end world, The Devil Wears Prada 2 exceeds the standard that many sequels today fail to approach. As Andy tells Miranda at the end of the film, journalism will continue to matter, and coverage, no matter what kind, is important. While the fashion world wasn’t one Andy initially set out to cover, keeping Runway alive represented more than that to Andy. It was a way for her to fight for an industry that was slipping away.
This movie won’t change your life, nor will it adjust the way you view the world for the rest of your existence, but it will undoubtedly entertain you for two hours and leave you with hope for the characters’ — and Runway’s — future.
