Practical Magic 2 Review: A Long-Awaited Sequel Conjures Heartbreak, Romance, and Witchy Sisterhood
Twenty-eight years after the original Practical Magic debuted to modest box office returns, the cult classic has finally manifested a sequel. Fueled by decades of fan devotion—expressed through fan art, social media tributes, and countless streaming rewatches—Warner Bros. Pictures brings back the beloved Owens sisters for Practical Magic 2, opening in theaters on September 11.
Returning Cast and New Faces
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprise their roles as Sally and Gillian Owens, sliding comfortably back into the dynamic of the bristling straight woman and the free-spirited wild child. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing return as the iconic Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, delivering the warmth and mischief that anchored the first film.
The next generation of Owens women has been recast: Joey King and Maisie Williams step into the roles of Kylie and Antonia, previously played by Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip. New additions to the ensemble include Lee Pace as Professor Ian Wright, Xolo Maridueña as Gideon, and Solly McLeod, rounding out the men who cross the Owens women’s paths—for better or worse.
Plot: A Shattered Happy Ending
Based on Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic, the sequel immediately unravels the hard-won happy ending of the 1998 film. After defeating the vengeful spirit of Gillian’s ex-lover (Goran Visnjic), the sisters believed they had broken the family curse that dooms any man who loves an Owens woman. But in the intervening years, Sally’s second husband, Tucson investigator Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn), has died. The loss plunges Sally back into grief and reignites her hatred for her own magic.
At the sequel’s start, Sally casts a spell on her young daughters to erase their memories of magic and their witch heritage, swearing Gillian to secrecy. Yet the girls still live in the same Massachusetts community that knows their family’s history, and they remain close to their openly witchy aunts. The narrative asks the audience to accept this contradiction—magic is everywhere, yet the daughters are unaware—and move forward.
A Darker, More Emotional Tone
Director Susanne Bier (Bird Box) establishes a vibrant, salty New England atmosphere in the first act, with a color palette that highlights the Owens women’s signature silks, velvets, and feathers against rough-hewn architecture. But the tone shifts quickly. Less than 15 minutes in, Aunt Jet (Wiest) dies—a devastating loss that hit this reviewer harder than expected, given the first film’s lighter touch. Wiest’s portrayal of Jet’s joy, mischief, love of margaritas, and fierce family devotion makes the loss resonate deeply.
The story then jumps forward: Antonia (Williams) is in a medical residency, while Kylie (King) studies art at university and falls for classmate Gideon (Maridueña), who is utterly besotted. Their romance reignites fears of the curse. Before Gideon’s life is threatened, the family suffers another shattering blow, propelling Kylie into a crash course in magic and her family’s hidden history.
Lee Pace Commands the Screen
Lee Pace defines Practical Magic 2. As Professor Ian Wright, a dark-magic academic covered in tattoos, Pace is introduced in a nude scene that—while PG-13 discreet—ushers in a female gaze the original film lacked. Bier understands that a close-up of Sally’s hand on Ian’s exposed chest, paired with his low whisper that they are both “molecules,” is as seductive as any explicit moment.
Ian is unapologetically earnest in his attraction to Sally, devoid of coyness or reservation. His every gaze carries temptation tinged with danger, a hallmark of Pace’s ability to straddle hero and villain territory. His crisp English accent welcomes audiences into the eccentric flats, cramped taverns, and stony ruins of England, where the film’s second half unfolds. The palette darkens there, mirroring Kylie’s peril and the sigils inked across Ian’s body—constant visual reminders of the stakes every time he reaches for Sally.
Romance, Fashion, and Female Power
The sequel delivers on multiple genre expectations: a heart-warming witch fantasy, a sexy but PG-13 romance, aspirational yet deceptively simple fashion, and a narrative of women harnessing their power against a system designed to suppress them. Bullock, also an executive producer, curates a female-led soundtrack featuring Olivia Rodrigo’s “The Cure” and Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide.”
Third-Act Stumbles
Where the film falters is its climax. Screenwriters Akiva Goldsman (who co-wrote the original with Robin Swicord and Adam Brooks), Georgia Pritchett, and Kelly Marcel craft dialogue that captures the intimacy and intensity of Sally and Gillian’s bond. However, Hoffman’s book series includes two intervening novels, and the sequel hastily introduces a new character and extensive backstory in the third act, creating a convoluted tangle. Character depictions grow frustratingly thin, and the action-heavy finale feels unearned.
Yet the tone eventually settles into a joyful, unapologetically “girly” conclusion that echoes the original’s spirit. The wild ride across genre influences—romance, horror, fantasy, family drama—remains thoroughly entertaining.
Final Verdict: A Source of Inspiration in Dark Times
Ultimately, Practical Magic 2 is more than a nostalgic victory lap. Seeing Kidman, Bullock, Wiest, and Channing reunite as women who boldly seek love, self-contentment, and sisterhood—no longer ingenues but fully realized forces—offers a path for witchy women everywhere, magical or not. In dark times, the film stands as a source of inspiration and hope.
Practical Magic 2 opens in theaters on September 11.
