Spooky season is upon us, and what better way to get into the season than to wander over to your local theatre to watch something to get you in the All Hallows’ Eve mood. That’s why today we’ll be covering the widely anticipated Halloween kick-off of the year… a 28-years later followup to a cult classic, Practical Magic 2. Yeah… uhh… Why are we doing this? I mean, don’t get me wrong, 1998’s Practical Magic is a beloved piece of 90’s cinema. However, does this REALLY need a legacy sequel? I hate to make this the opening of the review, but everyone I talked to before going to the screening had the same thought: “Did Practical Magic really need a sequel?” After seeing the film, my response to this question is: “Nah, but at least it’s kind of a fun, awkward fumble of a film.”
Directed by Susanne Bier, probably best known for 2018’s Bird Box, Practical Magic 2 is a 28-years-later (gosh… Remember The Bone Temple) continuation of the Owens sisters’ witch adventures. For those who have not seen the original, the Owens sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian/Gilly (Nicole “Ms. AMC” Kidman), come from a long line of witches who have been cursed by their ancestor to never fall in love. This curse leads to any man they fall for to suddenly die in some sort of accident; in this franchise’s case, usually getting hit by a car in a cinematic way. After losing two husbands to this curse, Sally decides to abandon witchcraft entirely and refuses to teach any sort of magic to either of her two daughters, Kylie (Joey King AKA the important one) and Antonia (Maisie Williams AKA the other one). After the discovery of an ancient grimoire that holds the secret to lifting the family curse AND the tragic near-death of Kylie’s boyfriend, Gideon (Xolo Maridueña), Kylie takes the grimoire to the family ancestral home in England to undo the curse herself before Gideon flatlines. Knowing the dangers of an inexperienced witch using such powerful, left-handed dark magic (just stick with me, I’m almost done), Sally and Gilly, along with the aid of Dr. Ian Wright (Lee Pace), venture off after her to stop Kylie before she unleashes something she can not control.
Now the plot is not what we’re here for when it comes to a sequel to Practical Magic. While the first film was sort of an all-over-the-place rom-com, family drama, thriller, magic adventure, Practical Magic 2 decides to lean heavily into the two strongest aspects of the first film: wild witchy magic and the power of sisterhood. The world of magic is greatly expanded, with new users of the craft being introduced, as well as new lore on the Owens sisters’ bloodline. The power of sisterhood is here purely in the form of the chemistry between the actors. There are some moments where the film succeeds in showing the powerful emotional bond that sisters can have, but these moments are not all created equally. Basically, the plot is a bubble gum and duct-tape excuse to get all the characters together on a globe-trotting adventure to cute cottages and castle ruins. With that in mind, the film looks pretty good, with some scenes having some real creative visuals and appearing to be shot on location, which is always a plus in 2026, where every other film is shot entirely on green screen. The real reason to see Practical Magic 2 is to reunite with the lovable cast of witches again on another mystical adventure. Unfortunately, this is the actual worst part of the film.
The performances in this film will really make or break your experience. At best they can be described as corny; at worst, they are irritating. Sandra Bullock is nearly unbearable in some scenes, due to her “interesting” choice to double down on making Sally Owens the most awkward person in New England. Sally is incapable of being a normal person; every scene she’s an overbearing mess who just can’t seem to ever get a grip. You could see what she’s going for, but after 25 minutes, it gets really old. Opposite of Bullock is Nicole Kidman, who is equally bad, but not for lack of trying. Kidman’s suffers more from the script, where her character is written like the stereotypical airheaded, popular girl. Even with this handicap, Ms. AMC goes for the chew every itch of scenery approach, leading to a character I didn’t love, but was at least fun to have around due to how chaotic she could be. The only good thing I can say about these two lead performances is that the chemistry between them is just as strong as it was in the first film. As stated earlier, Practical Magic 2 does feature scenes where the characters get to hang out and talk, allowing you to feel the bond these sisters have and see why they value that bond so much.
Alongside Bullock and Kidman are the new generation of Owens sisters, Kylie and Antonia, played by Joey King and Maisie Williams. Unlike the original sisters, there is no duo here, as Kylie is firmly planted in the main plot of venturing off to England while Antonia is relegated to the sidelines, where she sits in a hospital room for most of the film, not doing magic or well anything of importance. King as Kylie is obviously the next-gen version of Gilly, but lacks the dynamic charisma of Kidman. Instead, her entire purpose in the film is to be soo madly in love with her boyfriend that she’s willing to travel across the globe in search of some sort of dark magic to save him. Once Kylie leaves the main ensemble, her character more or less amounts to repeating, “I’m doing this for Gideon. I must stop the curse!” and very little else. Even less can be said about Maisie Williams’ Antonia, who could be completely cut out of this film and no one would notice. It’s unfortunate because there seemed to be some real chemistry between these two fresh faces, but the film just drops it all in favor of the previous generation going on a globe-trotting witch rescue mission.
Speaking of, let’s talk about Lee Pace, an actor I love who just does not work in this. Pace plays an English professor of the dark arts named Ian Wright who assists the Owens sisters in tracking down Kylie and serves as the new love interest for Sally. It’s been stated in this review that the chemistry between the cast has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of the film, but that is not applicable here AT ALL. In particular, there is one specific scene between Bullock and Pace that can best be described as romantic nails on a romantic chalkboard. Your mileage may vary, as my audience was vocally confused during this scene, with many laughing and others audibly cringing. The chemistry between these two is nonexistent at worst and forced at best. This can really be felt in contrast with the chemistry felt between King and Maridueña, which felt way more organic and wholesome. Even with the bad-boy, tattooed warlock energy, Pace is just a complete miss here.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention the return of the lovely Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Jet and Franny, the previous generation of Owens sisters. Both easily slip back into the roles as the mentor figures of the family coven, but unfortunately get sidelined pretty early alongside Maisie Williams in the second and third acts of the film. They do make sure to reference Midnight Margaritas not once, but twice in case you were afraid they forgot about the most iconic scene from the first film.
Practical Magic 2 is not the worst film I’ve seen this year, but sadly it’s a film that can only be fully enjoyed after a few Midnight Margaritas. The plot is whack, the performances are corny, and the overall vibe of the film just lacks the spirit of the original. There are genuinely strong emotional moments; unfortunately, the actors’ chemistry and nostalgia can only take you so far.
2 out of 5 stars.
Get some Midnight Margs, and maybe you’ll like it more than me.
Practical Magic 2, directed by Susanne Bier, is the sequel to the cult classic 1998 film Practical Magic. The film continues the story of the Owens sisters, Sally and Gilly (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), as they attempt to stop Sally’s daughter Kylie (Joey King) before she unleashes a dark magic she can not control. Also starring Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing, Practical Magic 2 is produced by Alcon Entertainment, Blossom Films, DiNovi Pictures, Fortis Films, and Warner Bros, and hits theatres September 10, 2026.
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