The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The Devil Wears Prada Review: A Devilishly Delicious Satire That Still Cuts Deep
The Devil Wears Prada is that rare breed of film—a glossy, crowd-pleasing comedy that also happens to be a razor-sharp satire of power, ambition, and the price of success. Nearly two decades after its release, David Frankel’s adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling roman Ă clef remains endlessly rewatchable, endlessly quotable, and endlessly relevant. It’s a film that understands that the most terrifying monsters aren’t the ones hiding under your bed—they’re the ones sitting behind a mahogany desk, whispering demands in a voice so soft you have to lean in to catch the venom.
The numbers confirm what audiences have always known: this is a film that works. With a 75% critics score based on 196 reviews and a 76% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Devil Wears Prada is a solid, Certified Fresh hit.[reference:0] But the numbers only tell part of the story. The real magic lies in the performances, particularly Meryl Streep’s career-defining turn as Miranda Priestly. As The New York Times wrote, “the screen Miranda is played by Meryl Streep, an actress who carries nuance in her every pore… With her silver hair and pale skin, her whispery diction as perfect as her posture, Ms. Streep’s Miranda inspires both terror and a measure of awe. No longer simply the incarnation of evil, she is now a vision of aristocratic, purposeful and surprisingly human grace.”[reference:1]
Critics have long praised the film’s sharp writing and its willingness to humanize its so-called villain. The BBC noted that “the big draw is Meryl Streep and her ‘smoulderingly sinister’ turn as the editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly,” while AllMovie wrote that “Streep dominates the film… she is scary, funny, strong, and weak—not alternately, but all at the same time.”[reference:2][reference:3] Roger Ebert was more measured, calling it “a fun and glossy career story driven by two compelling leads,” while also noting that Hathaway plays “a great beauty who makes a convincing career girl”.[reference:4]
What makes the film endure is its refusal to offer easy answers. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is not simply a victim, and Miranda Priestly is not simply a monster. The film understands that the worlds of fashion and journalism are seductive, and that the cost of success is often measured in the relationships we sacrifice along the way. It’s a movie “unapologetically, or maybe semi-apologetically, fascinated with power,” as the Times put it, and that fascination is precisely what makes it so compelling.[reference:5] For anyone who has ever had a boss, a dream, or a pair of Jimmy Choos, The Devil Wears Prada remains essential viewing.
The Devil Wears Prada Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and a Flawless Ensemble
The film features a perfectly assembled cast who bring these iconic characters to life with wit, warmth, and just the right amount of ice:
Meryl Streep delivers one of the most iconic performances of her career as Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. Streep’s Miranda is not a caricature but a fully realized, terrifyingly human force of nature. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and earned an Academy Award nomination for her work.[reference:6] As The New York Times noted, her Miranda “inspires both terror and a measure of awe.”[reference:7]
Anne Hathaway is the film’s emotional anchor as Andy Sachs, a recent Northwestern graduate who lands “the job a million girls would kill for” and slowly loses herself in the process. Hathaway brings intelligence, vulnerability, and a sharp comic timing to the role, making Andy’s transformation both believable and deeply affecting. Emily Blunt delivers a breakout performance as Emily Charlton, Miranda’s senior assistant, whose biting wit and desperate ambition provide some of the film’s best laughs. Stanley Tucci is magnificent as Nigel Kipling, Runway’s art director and Andy’s unlikely mentor, bringing warmth and wisdom to a world that often lacks both.
Simon Baker smolders as Christian Thompson, a charming journalist who offers Andy a glimpse of a different kind of life. Adrian Grenier plays Nate, Andy’s boyfriend, whose frustration with her demanding job mirrors the film’s central tension between ambition and relationships. Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, and Stephanie Szostak round out the supporting cast, each adding texture and depth to this beautifully observed world.
The Devil Wears Prada Plot: A Million Girls Would Kill for This Job
The story begins with Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Anne Hathaway), an aspiring journalist who has just graduated from Northwestern University. Despite having no knowledge of or interest in fashion, she lands a job as the junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine—the most powerful publication in the fashion industry.[reference:8] Andy plans to endure Miranda’s legendary abuse for a year, hoping that the connections she makes at Runway will lead to a job in journalism.
But Andy is immediately out of her depth. She fits in poorly with her gossipy, fashion-forward co-workers, especially Miranda’s senior assistant, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt). Miranda’s demands are irrational and often impossible: booking a flight home from Florida during a hurricane, obtaining an unpublished manuscript of a Harry Potter novel for her twin daughters, and generally treating Andy like she is invisible until the moment she is needed.[reference:9]
After a humiliating dress trial where Miranda berates her in front of the entire team, Andy turns to Runway’s art director, Nigel (Stanley Tucci), for help. He helps her select stylish clothes, and with a new look and a new attitude, Andy begins to thrive. Miranda starts to delegate more important tasks to her, and Andy gradually outperforms Emily, who has been desperately preparing for the Paris Fashion Week trip she has always dreamed of attending.[reference:10]
But as Andy becomes more glamorous and more absorbed in the Runway philosophy, she begins to lose touch with the people she loves. Her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and her friends feel increasingly distant. When a dramatic turn of events leads to Andy accompanying Miranda to Paris instead of Emily, she is forced to confront the person she is becoming. The film builds to a powerful, bittersweet conclusion as Andy must decide what kind of life—and what kind of person—she truly wants to be. It’s a story about ambition, identity, and the seductive danger of losing yourself in someone else’s world.
“A million girls would kill for this job.”
