In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada became one of the biggest movies of the decade. Starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt, it is widely regarded as one of the best movies of that year and is listed in “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century” by the New York Times. So when, in 2024, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was announced, the film had big shoes to fill.

The film takes place 20 years after the events of the first one. Andy (Hathaway), the protagonist from the first film, is a recently fired journalist who is rehired by Runway, the magazine that hired her 20 years ago. There, she reunites with both Miranda (Streep) and Nigel (Tucci) in the same positions they were before she quit. Throughout the film, Andy must deal with both her personal relationships and her demanding office job at Runway. And while this is also the premise of the original, it still offers a unique story that keeps the audience hooked, even if they have watched the original film.

Easily, the best part of this movie is the cast. An easy standout was Blunt, who plays Emily, Miranda’s former assistant, now a senior executive at Dior, who has to deal with rising tensions between her and Miranda while also wanting to do more in the fashion industry. Her character provides a comedic tone and makes the audience sympathize with her, as she feels stuck and unable to grow because she blames Miranda for pushing her down. Additionally, Hathaway and Streep have some fun character dynamics that are built upon in the first film, which allows their relationship to grow. This development in their relationship makes it feel unique from the first film, ensuring that there is always something to watch when they’re on the screen.

The film also does a great job in its production. The story is riveting and keeps the audience wanting more. The screenwriters bring homage to the original without overly dumping nostalgia, making it enjoyable to watch if you watched the first film while not making it impossible to understand if you next saw the original. Additionally, the plot moves at a smooth pace and doesn’t feel stagnant, allowing many characters to have a role without them feeling like they don’t belong or only exist to move the plot forward or increase the runtime.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is one of the perfect sequels and should be the blueprint when other movies make a sequel or prequel. The film allows for natural growth for the characters, pays respect to the original, and keeps the audience engaged. It should be considered a must-watch and may become one of the best movies of the year.