Two Films. One Weekend. A Whole Lot of Feelings.
Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2: A Double Review for the Woman Who Has Lived Enough to Appreciate Both
I was twelve years old when “Thriller” dropped. Twelve. And I remember exactly where I was sitting on the floor of my mama’s living room, glued to that television like nothing else in the world existed. But before that? There was Motown 25.
I was home the night Michael Jackson moonwalked across that stage performing “Billie Jean” and the whole world stopped breathing. I didn’t have words for what I was watching. None of us did. We just knew we were witnessing something that would never happen again. That night lives in my body the way certain memories do not in your mind, but in your chest.
So yes, I went to see Michael. And then I went right back to that theater for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Because apparently, spring 2026 decided that women of a certain age deserve everything at once and baby, I am not complaining.
Michael (2026)
★★★★★ out of 5
Michael Jackson wasn’t just music. He was a moment. He was ours.
Jaafar Jackson’s performance is nothing short of phenomenal. He captures the voice, the stage presence, the featherlight fragility that made his uncle impossible to look away from. And here’s what surprised me, he doesn’t feel like an imitation. He feels like a channeling. There were moments on that screen where I forgot I was watching a movie and thought I was watching a memory.
Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson? Oscar-worthy. That man brought menace and complexity to a role that could have easily been cartoonish. And Nia Long as Katherine Jackson added a tenderness and depth that grounded the whole film. As a woman who grew up watching Black mothers hold everything together while their men got all the credit, I saw Katherine in that performance. I felt her.
The concert recreations? Baby, they did that. The scenes bringing “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” and “Beat It” back to life are the kind of spectacle that reminds you why movie theaters exist. When “Billie Jean” came on that screen, I grabbed the armrest. Because for a moment, just a moment, I was back in my mama’s living room in 1983, watching a boy become a legend in real time. That’s a gift very few films ever give you.
There is no debate about who Michael Jackson was. The greatest entertainer of all time, full stop. This film honors that legacy with the grandness it deserves, and Jaafar carries that torch with grace and reverence. Some stories don’t need to be torn apart to be told. Sometimes you just need to let greatness speak for itself.
My final word on Michael.
I left that theater smiling. I hummed “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” all the way to my car. The music transcends everything. The art outlasts the argument. Five stars all day. Go see it with someone you love. Wear comfortable shoes — because trust me, your feet are going to want to move.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)
★★★★★ out of 5
Now let me tell you about the film that made me feel seen as a woman who has built something and watched the world try to move past her anyway.
Twenty years later, Meryl Streep is still Miranda Priestly. And honey, she has not lost a single step. The moment she walked on screen I sat up straight because that’s just what Miranda does to you. She commands the room even when the room is a movie theater full of strangers.
But what caught me off guard was the heart of this story. This sequel isn’t just about fashion or drama or iconic one-liners. It’s about a woman at the top of her industry facing the reality that the world she built is changing around her and the question of whether she’ll adapt or be left behind. As a woman running a 20-year media brand in a shifting landscape, I felt every single frame of that tension personally.
Anne Hathaway brings Andy back with more wisdom and fewer illusions. Emily Blunt is sharp and funny and reminds you why she is one of the best working today. And Stanley Tucci as Nigel remains the most stylish, most quotable man in any room he enters. The whole cast moves together like they never left because in a way, they never did. These characters live in us.
Critics noted the film doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original and they’re right. Lightning rarely strikes twice in exactly the same place. But what this sequel offers instead is something the original couldn’t perspective. The kind that only comes with time, experience, and knowing what it cost you to get where you are.
My final word on Prada 2
Lightning may not strike twice in exactly the same place, but this sequel strikes somewhere even better. Deeper. More earned. Five stars for a film that reminded me why we show up, keep building, and never apologize for taking up space. Go see it. Then go call somebody who has been in your corner for twenty years and tell them thank you.
Spring 2026 gave us two films worth talking about one about a legend we grew up loving, and one about the women we’ve grown up to become. Both are worth your time, your popcorn, and your tears.
Angelia L. Stone is the Founder & CEO of HOPE Media Brand. Follow HOPE Magazine at myhopemag.com and join the conversation on social @myhopemag.
