Practical Magic 2 ★★★

Released: 11 September 2026

Director: Susanne Bier

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Maisie Williams, Joey King, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña

It’s practically spooky to think that almost 28 years have flown by since stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman first brought the ever-quirky exploits of the Owens sisters to the screen (plus a whole lot of midnight margaritas!). Despite its initial mixed reviews, Practical Magic has since become a ‘90s cult classic and a staple rewatch for when autumn rolls in. Based on the four-book series by American author Alice Hoffman, the long-awaited legacy sequel is finally here, adapting the fourth instalment, The Book of Magic. And while the beloved hallmarks and core cast of the cosy classic return, lightning unfortunately doesn’t strike twice, with the sequel struggling to recapture the original’s magic.

Directed by Susanne Bier, Practical Magic 2 centres on the next generation of the Owens family, Sally’s (Sandra Bullock) daughters, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), as they finally uncover the family’s true magical nature – and their unfortunate dark secret. Following Sally’s heartache over the eventual death of her second husband, she vows to protect her daughters by shielding them from their heritage. That’s until Kylie confesses her love to her charming (but secret) boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) and he subsequently gets into a car accident and falls into a coma. Determined to save Gideon and finally break the curse, Kylie runs away to her family’s ancestral home in England, with sisters Sally and Gillian (Kidman) hot on her heels.

For many fans, it’s undoubtedly brilliant to be immersed back into this wonderfully witchy world, complete with the iconic white house, black cat and ever-charismatic matriarchy. It also feels like hardly any time has passed since the original, as Bullock, Kidman, West and Channing slip straight back into their gloriously whimsical and unconventional sisterhood. And while this long-awaited sequel shares many of the same themes as the first, fully channelling the nostalgia, it’s surprisingly more ambitious and larger in scope than its predecessor, closely mirroring the book it’s based on.

For those who enjoyed the more witchy elements of Practical Magic, the good news is this aspect is definitely expanded upon, with a whole slew of intriguing elements introduced. The arrival of the Book of the Raven, a mystical grimoire discovered by Jet, teases the secret to finally breaking the generational Owens curse – but also introduces left-hand (aka dark) magic. Along the way, the family also encounters hexes, a historian of the occult, along with a deeper exploration of the Owens family and their ancestral home in the fictional Thornfield, UK. Plus we finally see the extent of Sally’s true power in action in an intriguing magical showdown. However, while it’s a fascinating angle to dive deeper into, unfortunately, it’s an element which is never fully explored, with one particular (spoilery) twist feeling rushed, and as a result, disappointingly underdeveloped.

Bullock and Kidman undeniably channel the same beloved dynamic, packed with heart and humour, and the two create some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments (gothic pigeon is a personal favourite!). However, there’s a certain disappointment to the aunts’ arcs, or lack thereof, with the split between the USA and UK further fragmenting the core family dynamic and sisterhood – especially when Lee Pace’s historian Ian Wright enters the scene. Maisie Williams also unfortunately gets sidelined for much of the runtime, which would have made sense if her character followed the same arc as her book counterpart, but alas, that’s not the case. And while the sequel is still an unapologetic celebration of sisterhood, motherhood and magic, it’s a shame the film focuses so much on romantic rather than familial relationships.

Still, tonal shifts and messy plot aside, it’s difficult to deny just how beautifully moving certain moments are, particularly as they’re celebrating such wonderful lives, or a real spectacle harking back to the iconic rooftop moment of the first. And while it doesn’t quite cast the same spell on us as the original, it’s still a wonderfully unabashed celebration of women and sisterhood.