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“Practical Magic 2” is a 2026 American romantic fantasy film directed by Susanne Bier from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, based on the 2021 novel “The Book of Magic” by Alice Hoffman. It is the sequel to “Practical Magic” from 1998.
You put the lime in the coconut, and what you get is ... an OK movie. I was nervous this film would be similar to “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” where it felt like a giant cash grab, and maybe I was right ... It is plenty of fun at times, but it is one of the films that is somewhat saved by the last act, after spending two acts struggling to find its footing.
Right from the jump, the opening scene delivers a major blow to fans of the original. The emotional payoff of finding true love at the end of the first film is essentially wiped away in an instant when that love interest is killed off right out of the gate. Starting on that note takes away a lot of the initial magic and, in my opinion, undermines the legacy of the original story and casts an unnecessary shadow over the rest of the film.
There are plenty of scenes bogged down by awkward, clumsy dialogue that had me cringing in my seat and occasionally had members of the audience chuckling for the wrong reasons. On paper, the cast is absolutely stacked: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Joey King and Xolo Maridueña. Seeing Bullock and Kidman share the screen again is enough to get anyone seated, but star power alone can’t entirely smooth over the early narrative bumps.
Luckily, the film finds some light in King and Maridueña. While their story touches on familiar ground, their storyline brings genuine excitement, vulnerability and raw emotion to the screen. King, in particular, delivers a standout performance centered on how she grapples with the lies told by her mother and family. She commands the screen with a powerful monologue that is genuinely award-worthy acting material, completely getting me locked in on her storyline.
By the time the third act arrives, the movie pulls itself together into something actually heartfelt. The soundtrack does heavy lifting throughout the film, featuring awesome tracks like “Dancing in the Moonlight” alongside Olivia Rodrigo’s “The Cure,” which caught me off guard at first before fitting the mood surprisingly well. And for longtime fans hoping for pure nostalgia, you do get a signature “midnight margarita”-style moment toward the end that had me grinning ear to ear.
This sequel has its issues, but it has enough heart, music and redeeming performances to keep it somewhat entertaining. Will I be watching it again anytime soon? Probably not ... But between the feeling of nostalgia, the soundtrack and a strong finish, I’m still glad I saw it.
Paul B. Connelly, who will write about movies for the Marblehead Independent, is a digital content creator, film and television critic and media personality recognized for his long-form episodic reactions, movie reviews and pop-culture discussions. With an active multiplatform reach spanning YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and social channels, he has built a dedicated digital community of 150,000 to 200,000 combined followers and amassed millions of views across social media. Beyond streaming and daily digital commentary, Connelly connects with the wider filmmaking community through panel moderation, live interviews and community-driven discussions. He is based in Salem.
