Before we get into it, let’s just get the good stuff out of the way. The fashion is insane. The events are glamorous. And the lifestyle is enviable. Sexy locations. Legendary fashion houses. It’s everything you’d want from a fashion-forward flick. But it’s also so so much more.

Words: Lauren Demarest

As someone who spent my career in advertising writing campaigns and developing brand voices for some of the world’s largest companies, I found The Devil Wears Prada 2 to be a heavier watch than I ever anticipated. This film was a raw, sad reflection of reality draped in fabulous lightweight fashion fun. In this movie, just like in life, I watched major industries get absolutely decimated. My industries. My life. It was relatable. It was personal. It was a hard watch. I cried. I cried at The Devil Wears Prada 2. Three times.

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Here’s why. While a bit light on plot, TDWP2 was rich in its exploration of modern themes and character development. Let’s start with the themes that struck me the most.

AI and tech was a major theme of this film. A tech billionaire is out to acquire Runway Magazine and his vision is bleak for anyone who has ever been in a creative line of work. Whether it be journalism… or creative writing of any kind. Fashion in all its forms… design, photography, modeling. Art… commercial art… fine art… you name it. If you used to work in any of these spaces, you’ll relate to the key words “used to”. Because in recent years you’ve probably watched agog as generative AI started writing your scripts and articles, spawned perfect models, rendered cinematic scenery and lighting, voiced your VOs, developed your logos, and the list goes on and on. TDWP2 is set at this moment we are all living. Andy, an award-winning journalist, along with her entire team has been fired. And the icon that is Miranda Priestly is facing the thinnest September Issue to date. Which highlights the consequences of this creative decline and AI takeover. Once all our in-depth journalism is replaced with disposable posts and bite-sized listicles, can the consumer even think critically anymore? We see it. The new generation of “readers” cannot read. Their professors profess their concerns that they, indeed, cannot write. Can they think? Do they care to? And is the disease spreading? We need to take a hard look at ourselves, our kids, our online habits, our values, and our responsibility to one another to keep the arts from dying altogether. This was my biggest takeaway.

The movie, as a true reflection of our times, also had some strong themes of female empowerment. Where it shines (Lucy Liu’s character), and where it still sadly falls short. In this case, we watched three things happen. One with Andy. One with Emily. And the most profound with Miranda.

Let’s start with the character development of Andy. In the first movie, she is coming into her own as a career woman. We watch her struggle to balance a demanding job and a flailing relationship as her time for anything outside of career ambitions dwindles. In this second film, she is established. Happy. With a newspaper journalist career that wins her a major award in the beginning scenes. She makes her return to Runway making more money than ever as Features Editor. We watch her upgrade her apartment, and embrace her success. Now this is where the plot gets a little “Hollywood”. Rather than letting our protagonist bask in her new life, the writers threw a totally forgettable love interest in the mix that the audience never really becomes all that invested in. The love story bits were so unnecessary to moving the story along, and in my opinion, got in the way of some opportunities for more serious, feminist story telling. I love guys. But this guy was pointless. It would have been refreshing to let Andy be Andy, and not muddy the waters with this real estate developer character.

Now… Emily. Ahhhh… she hasn’t changed a bit. She needs validation. She needs the spotlight. She needs her man. We all know these ladies. And that’s cool. There’s nothing truly wrong with that. Her dependence on her tech billionaire boyfriend reeks of insecurity. And that’s ok. I’m sure she was this way long before Miranda started bullying the confidence out of her in the first film. But it was important to watch her fall from grace. To lose the big acquisition… and ultimately the man who came with it. We see her “humbled” as she topples from Dior to Coach. LOL. But in the end, we see her genuinely opening up to the power of female friendships as we see her luncheon with Andy at the end. There’s hope for her yet.

And the hardest to watch, was the rapid decline of Miranda Priestly’s power in a space being consumed by shitty little tech bros. We see the ice queen herself being bossed about, talked down to, and subjected to things clearly below her icon standing. The Runway cafeteria scene. Hahaha. Oh my god. We see her being silenced in meetings. Meetings she would have normally led. And anyone who reveres Vogue and Anna Wintour with the respect they deserve will feel the pangs of sadness in these scenes viscerally. It’s a kick in the teeth. A punch to the gut. It freakin hurts. But aside from all this, there is a lovely softening to Miranda’s character that was done with skill and with candor that only Meryl Streep could have executed so gracefully. She reveals someone beneath the frozen exterior who is more relatable than ever before. No longer the ultimate villain, the performance is nuanced. We see her struggle in a rapidly devolving media environment without losing her edge. She is humanized… faults and all. Some of the examples were too far-fetched and silly to be believable. A la Miranda flying coach. Yeah right. When hell freezes over.

When all is said and done, I’d highly recommend this movie. Its not the kind of film where you go out for drinks after and laugh… which were the plans my gal pal and I had… which we cancelled to thoughtfully walk home with our hearts a bit heavier than when we’d left the house. It sounds crazy to say… but this was an important film with a lot to say. See it!