Practical Magic 2 Review: A 2026 Legacy Sequel That

Twenty-odd years after Sally (Sandra Bullock) seemingly broke the Owens family curse by finding true love, the universe has decided that peace is overrated. Now, Sally is a grandmother figure to a new generation of witches, with her pragmatic daughter Kylie (Joey King) and rebellious niece Antonia (Maisie Williams) butting heads over how to handle their powers. While Gillian (Nicole Kidman) is still stealing scenes with her cosmic-level sass, a dark, ancient force - tied to the family’s original sorrow - begins circling the Owens women like a vulture at a picnic. When a handsome, mysterious outsider named Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) rolls into town, his connection to the curse sends Sally on a frantic mission to protect her family, while Gillian decides that maybe the solution is to throw a massive party and seduce danger (classic Gillian). It’s a tale of sisterhood, unresolved trauma, and the danger of hiding who you truly are - wrapped in a bow of magic, moonlight, and some truly gorgeous knitwear.

Let’s start with the obvious: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman still have that thing. You know the one. That easy, lived-in banter that makes you believe two wildly different women have been tethered by blood and baggage since childhood. Bier wisely centers the film on their dynamic, and every scene they share crackles with humor and heartbreak. Kidman especially is having a ball, delivering lines like “I don’t need a man to save me, but I’ll definitely let him try if he’s hot” with a wink that feels like she’s speaking directly to the gays in the audience.

The newcomers - Joey King and Maisie Williams - are fine, though their generational squabble feels like it was pulled straight from a CW pilot that didn’t get picked up. King’s Kylie is wound too tight, while Williams’ Antonia leans a little too hard into “moody teen with dead mom energy,” but they bounce off each other with an earnestness that’s hard to dislike. Then there’s Xolo Maridueña, who brings genuine charm and heat to Gideon, even when the script asks him to be a walking exposition dump about the family’s dark past. The less said about Lee Pace’s Ian - a mysterious neighbor with a smile that promises trouble and a backstory that delivers a snooze - the better, though Pace is always watchable.

The plot is where the spell wobbles. The first act is a slow burn that toggles between three different romantic subplots, a curse flashback, and Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, returning with perfect comedic bites) trying to babysit a chaotic coven. It’s a lot. Bier can’t quite wrangle the tonal shifts; one minute we’re doing slapstick with a possessed toaster, the next we’re in a somber montage about generational grief. However, when the film settles into its central theme - the fear of losing your family to a fate you can’t control - it becomes genuinely moving. There’s a sequence between Sally and Gillian in a rain-soaked garden that had me clutching my chest like I was in a meme.

Visually, the movie is gorgeous. The Owens house feels like an old friend, dripping in wisteria and forgotten family portraits. Bier bathes everything in golden hour glow, and the magic effects - flying herbs, shimmering protective circles - are playful and practical, not overly CGI-heavy. It feels like a movie, not a video game cutscene. The soundtrack is also killer, obviously, with a new cover of “Crimson and Clover” playing over the credits that will have you sitting through scroll just to vibe.

But let’s be real: Practical Magic 2 is less about spell-casting mechanics and more about how women carry generational trauma in their shoulders and showcase it through passive-aggressive herbalism. The climax is a little Avengers: Endgame-lite, pulling in long-lost characters for a confrontation that resolves a bit too neatly. Yet, in an era where sequels are either cynical or angry, there’s something refreshingly sincere about how earnestly this film believes in love, forgiveness, and the power of a well-made casserole.

Pros

• Bullock and Kidman’s chemistry is still pure gold.
• Funny, bitchy, and tender dialogue that respects the original film’s tone.
• Gorgeous production design and cinematography that makes you want to move to a small coastal town.
• The new cast members (especially Maridueña) fit right in.
• A third act that, while neat, delivers a cathartic emotional payoff.

Cons

• The plot tries to do too much; the three-act structure feels bloated.
• Lee Pace’s character is criminally underwritten.
• The younger witches’ conflict feels rushed and underdeveloped.
• Several magical rules are made up and immediately forgotten.
• A few pacing lulls in the middle that will have you checking your watch.

Practical Magic 2 is not a great movie, but it is a good time. It’s a cinematic warm blanket infused with a hint of sage smoke. It respects the original’s legacy while allowing its characters to grow, and it never forgets that at its heart, this is a story about two sisters who would burn the world down - or resurrect it - for each other. If you’re looking for airtight fantasy logic, you’ll be disappointed. If you want to spend 130 minutes with beloved icons who look stunning in flowing linen while discussing love and death, you’re in for a treat.

It’s messy, it’s overstuffed, and it sometimes confuses “drama” with “melodrama,” but it’s also unapologetically romantic and funny. For fans who have been waiting for nearly three decades to see Sally and Gillian ride off into another adventure, this feels like closure and new beginnings all at once. Pour yourself a glass of Midnight Margarita (hold the hallucination), invite your chosen family over, and let the Owens women wash over you. You won’t regret it - you might even feel a little magic yourself.