Practical Magic 2 (2026) Review!!

Synopsis – A multi generational family of witches, cursed to be loveless for centuries, attempts to break the spell by confronting dark secrets and sacrificing for each other.

My Take – Though dismissed as both a critical and commercial misfire upon release, Practical Magic (1998) endured as a comfort-watch, its tale of a coven of witches learning to wield their gifts for everyday survival wrapped in an unconventional blend of supernatural romance, family drama, domestic abuse themes, and old-fashioned values. Finding solace in its portrait of sisterly bonds and inner growth against the crisp New England backdrop.

For me, however, the experience was mostly uneven, with its bold swings often feeling overreaching, leaving Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock’s sisters, alongside their eccentric aunts Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, to shoulder much of the weight. But since streaming and other sources of media transformed the film into a bona fide cult favorite.

Now, nearly three decades later, the Owens sisters return in a sequel designed not only to rekindle nostalgia but also to enchant a new generation. The long-awaited follow-up also marks Sandra Bullock’s first screen appearance in four years, ending her hiatus as she’s joined once again by Kidman, Channing, and Wiest, reprising their iconic roles and ushering the coven into a new era. And yet, much like its predecessor, the sequel proves a mixed spell.

Under the direction of Susanne Bier (Bird Box), the film adapts Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic, grounding its strongest moments in the love shared among the Owens women. Their relationships radiate warmth, delivering genuine joy and a handful of uplifting scenes that keep the enchantment alive. Unfortunately, the muddled plot, shallow character work, and underdeveloped supporting arcs cast shadows over the narrative.

As luminous as Bullock and Kidman remain, even their combined sorcery cannot fully elevate the film. The result is not the triumphant return fans may have hoped for, but it does conjure a familiar brew of magic, mayhem, family drama and more margaritas than any witch’s broomstick could carry.

The story once again follows Owens sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman), who continue to be haunted by the ancestral curse cast by Maria Owens, which dooms any man who dares love an Owens woman. Though they once believed the spell broken, tragedy strikes when Sally’s second husband, Gary, dies soon after their marriage. Devastated, Sally renounces her magic and casts a final spell to erase all memory of witchcraft from her daughters, Antonia and Kylie, hoping to shield them from the curse.

Reluctantly, Gillian and their aunts, Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Frances (Stockard Channing), support her choice. Now years later, Antonia (Maisie Williams) now a trainee doctor, and Kylie (Joey King) an advanced arts student, get on with their ordinary non-magical lives while Sally has cut herself off from magic and community still residing on a bucolic Massachusetts island. Gillian, meanwhile, has wandered the world, honing her witchcraft.

The family reunites at their stately Colonial Revival home for Aunt Jet’s birthday, where fate intervenes: Jet discovers The Raven Book, a sinister grimoire of left-hand magic that may hold the key to breaking Maria’s curse once and for all. But when Jet dies, grief ripples through the family—and Sally’s world shatters further upon learning Kylie has fallen in love with Gideon (Xolo Maridueña).

Ignoring Gillian’s warnings, Kylie’s romance triggers a chain of events that propels the Owens clan across the Atlantic to the UK, where they embark on a perilous quest to sever the generations-old curse before it claims another victim.

From there on what unfolds is a chaotic family drama filled with revelations, emotional turns, and high-stakes magic. Fans of the original will find familiar enchantment, while newcomers may wonder why they waited so long to meet the Owens clan.

Co-written by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, the film’s strength lies in family bonds. Sisterly love and generational ties drive every spell and exchange. Where the first film focused on Sally and Gillian, the sequel broadens to the entire family, weaving connections across generations. Yet, despite promise, the film overburdens itself with tangled threads and uneven pacing. Bigger magic, bigger bonds, bigger romances—but too much bloat.

The addition of Professor Ian Wright (Lee Pace) brings charm, though moving the action to England adds little beyond suitcase squabbles. However, Antonia is sidelined, while Kylie takes on more, though her naïveté leaves her vulnerable. At nearly half an hour longer than the original, director Susanne Bier’s sequel feels stretched. Familiar dynamics dominate—Sally’s need for control, Gillian’s chaos, and the sanctity of sisterhood. Sally remains the anchor, her controlling nature acknowledged as both protective and damaging.

There are laughs from Kidman, charm from Pace, but little justification for the sequel’s existence. Costumes stuck in the ’90s only underline its reliance on nostalgia. The villain, echoing Goran Višnjić’s Jimmy Angelov, is underwhelming, another man ranting about entitlement. Supporting characters fade, and even central ones lack depth. By the end, little feels fulfilling. The film longs to be braver and bolder, but settles for reheated nostalgia, disappointing yet familiar.

Once again leaving Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to do all the heavy lifting. Their chemistry remains the central spark, with Bullock delivering a tour de force comeback after nearly four years away from the screen. She commands every scene with charisma and sharp comedic timing, elevating the film’s energy throughout. Kidman matches her stride for stride, slipping back into Gillian with mischievous charm and infectious vitality.

Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are largely confined to passing-the-torch roles, though their presence still anchors the story. Joey King steps forward with confidence as Kylie, while Lee Pace injects welcome charm into his limited role.

By contrast, Maisie Williams is sidelined for much of the runtime, reduced to fleeting tender moments and hospital scrubs. Xolo Maridueña’s Gideon fares little better, serving mostly as a plot device rather than a fully realized character. The weakest link is Solly McLeod’s Thomas Lockland, introduced late as a generic British villain with paper-thin motives. With barely twenty minutes of screen time, his grudge feels perfunctory, leaving the climax undercut by a lack of menace. On the whole, ‘Practical Magic 2’ is a charming yet uneven sequel that leans on nostalgia without ever recapturing the original’s spell.