There are sequels you go to out of curiosity, and there are sequels you go to because the original lives somewhere deep in your bones. The Devil Wears Prada is, without exaggeration, one of my all-time favorite movies (behind Legally Blonde and Mean Girls, of course)… the comfort watch I queue up on every long-haul flight and a movie I can quote without thinking. So when The Devil Wears Prada 2 finally arrived, I knew I wasn’t going to see it just anywhere. I wanted the experience to match the moment.

I decided to see it at CinemaCity Starlight at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, which is one of the newest, most talked-about movie theatres in the city. The moment we got to the top of the escalator, I understood why people have been raving about it.

An Ultra-Luxury Cinema Experience

Calling CinemaCity Starlight a “movie theater” feels almost dismissive. It is, more accurately, a private members’ club that happens to screen films. The lobby alone sets the tone: low, ambient lighting, sleek marble underfoot, soft music that hums just below the level of conversation, and the unmistakable scent of fresh espresso coffee and a full instagram aesthetic.

You don’t line up, you are greeted. A host checked me in by name, walked me past the standard concessions and into the dedicated VIP area. It felt less like waiting for a movie and more like the opening of a beautiful evening out.

When it was time, an attendant led us into the theatre itself. The seats are the incredible. Wide, fully-reclining loungers with comfortable throws folded neatly, individual side tables, soft pillows, a personal call button, and enough space between rows that you genuinely forget anyone else is there. The screen is enormous, the sound is immersive without being aggressive, and the room is kept at that perfect, just-cool-enough temperature that makes you grateful for the blanket.

Throughout the film, service was discreet and seamless. Press the button and a server quietly appears. Albert ordered food and barely registered the moment it arrived because of how discreet and non-distracting they are. This was my first time seeing a movie in the UAE, and one thing I noticed was that the English movies have Arabic subtitles, which is amazing. By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I had been pampered for two hours straight.

If you are going to see a film about high fashion, glamour, and the pinnacle of style that is Runway magazine, this is the way to do it. Anything less would have felt like a betrayal.

The Movie Itself

The nostalgia hit hard and fast. There is something profoundly emotional about returning to characters you have spent so much of your life with, and the sequel honors that history without ever feeling like it is just trading on it. Honestly, I think the movie had the impact it had BECAUSE there were 20 years between the original and the sequel. It was a legit reunion. 

The jokes are hysterical. Sharp, fast, and beautifully timed… the kind of writing that respects its audience enough to trust them to keep up. I laughed out loud more times than I could count, and I was not the only one. The whole auditorium was reacting together, which is its own kind of magic in a VIP room where everyone has otherwise been very politely silent. Except for a joke Miranda Priestly made about New Jersey – I was clearly the only American in the room, laughing my FACE off and no one else got the joke (which is ok!). 

What I loved most, though, were the easter eggs. The film is layered with them… little nods, callbacks, visual gags, recurring motifs from the original, and the deeper you get into the runtime, the more they reveal themselves. Some you catch instantly and grin at. Others land a beat later, and you find yourself quietly impressed, realizing what you just saw. It rewards everyone, but it especially rewards the people who have loved this story for years. As one of those people, I felt seen. I bet that if I went to the theatre to see it again, I’d pick up even more easter eggs because it was seriously THAT well done. 

The performances, the costuming, the pacing, the way old characters are revisited and new ones introduced: it all works. It is funny, it is warm, it is gloriously stylish, and underneath the gloss it has something to say. I walked out genuinely moved. They wrapped everything up with the perfect bow and it was just excellent overall. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. 

Final Verdict

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is everything a long-awaited sequel should be: nostalgic without being lazy, fresh without abandoning what made the original iconic, and packed with enough wit and hidden detail to reward repeat viewings. I will absolutely be watching it again, ideally in theatres or when it is available to stream. 

The film was truly wonderful and the way we got to watch it at CinemaCity Starlight made it unforgettable.