Twenty-eight years is a long time to wait for a sequel, especially when the original movie has had nearly three decades to become a comfort watch. Practical Magic 2 arrives with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman returning as the beloved Owens sisters, surrounded by familiar faces, new characters and another supernatural family crisis. Yet instead of making that long wait feel worthwhile, the sequel often feels like it is trying too hard to recreate a memory that worked better when audiences were simply looking back at it.
The original Practical Magic was never a straightforward hit when it arrived in 1998. Over time, however, its unusual combination of witchcraft, romance, family drama and sisterhood found a loyal audience that turned the movie into a cult favourite. The sequel clearly understands what viewers connected with, bringing back the Owens family spirit, the magic and much of the emotional shorthand between Sally and Gillian. The problem is that it also brings back some of the original’s weaknesses while stretching the story to a surprisingly lengthy 130 minutes.
Directed by Susanne Bier, who previously worked with both Bullock and Kidman, Practical Magic 2 shifts the spotlight toward the next generation of Owens women. Joey King delivers the strongest performance as Sally’s daughter Kylie, a young woman suddenly overwhelmed by love, grief and magical abilities she was never taught to control. That younger perspective gives the sequel its best opportunity to become something more than nostalgia, but the film takes too long to get there.
A new Owens generation takes centre stage
Bullock returns as Sally Owens, now older, more cautious and deeply resistant to romance. After losing two husbands to the family’s centuries-old curse, Sally has decided that love is simply too dangerous. Her answer is drastic: she casts a spell that causes her daughters, Kylie and Antonia, to forget that they come from a family of witches.
That decision becomes the foundation for the new story when Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon, played by Xolo Maridueña, suffers a critical injury shortly after she admits that she loves him. Suddenly, the magical secret Sally has tried to bury can no longer remain hidden. Gillian, played again by Kidman, pushes her sister to tell Kylie the truth, creating a conflict between a mother desperate to protect her daughter and a young woman who needs to understand what is happening to her.
Joey King is easily one of the film’s biggest strengths. Kylie experiences everything at full volume, from romantic excitement to fear and confusion, and King gives those emotions enough energy to keep the younger storyline moving. The contrast with Bullock’s deliberately restrained Sally is also useful, because Kylie represents everything her mother has spent years trying to suppress.
Nicole Kidman, meanwhile, returns with the same flamboyant energy that made Gillian such a memorable presence in the first film. The problem is that the character often feels trapped in the personality she had decades ago. Instead of giving Gillian much meaningful growth, the sequel frequently leans on her impulsive, younger-sister behaviour, which makes the relationship between the sisters less charming than it should be.
Their bond is still the emotional centre of the movie, but the dialogue sometimes makes them feel like they are constantly talking over each other rather than finishing each other’s thoughts. That may reflect how real sibling relationships evolve over time, but it does not always translate into the warmth the movie is chasing.
The sequel has too much story and too little urgency
Kylie’s search for a way to save Gideon leads her to the belongings of her great-aunt Jet, played by Dianne Wiest. There she discovers the Book of Ravens, which points toward a spell that could potentially break the Owens family’s curse. Her search takes her to England, where she encounters Thomas Lockland, played by Solly McLeod, whose family history becomes connected to the Owens women.
At the same time, Sally and Gillian receive guidance from their aunt Franny, played by Stockard Channing. They eventually seek the help of Ian Wright, a British academic portrayed by Lee Pace, whose knowledge of dark magic becomes useful to their investigation. The characters then travel through the United Kingdom in search of Kylie, hoping to stop her from unleashing powers she does not fully understand.
On paper, there is enough material here for an entertaining supernatural adventure. In practice, the film takes far too long to connect its pieces. At 130 minutes, Practical Magic 2 is around half an hour longer than its predecessor, and the additional running time does not consistently translate into greater emotional depth or a more complicated mystery.
The central mystery also becomes increasingly easy to anticipate as the movie moves forward. Instead of creating genuine suspense around the eventual revelation, the film spends too much time circling information the audience can already see coming. That makes several stretches feel unnecessarily slow, particularly when the characters should be racing toward a solution.
Lee Pace is another example of a performance that works better than the material surrounding it. As Ian, he brings an effortless charm and immediate chemistry with Bullock. His character is so appealing that it becomes difficult not to wonder why the screenplay does not make better use of that relationship. Yet because the film is already overloaded, giving Ian more to do would probably create another problem unless the story were willing to remove some of its existing detours.
Solly McLeod also makes an impression as Thomas, particularly in his early scenes with Kylie. He is likable enough to make the audience question the direction of the romance, which is useful in a film where the emotional choices are supposed to matter. Unfortunately, the script does not always give these relationships enough room to develop naturally.
The sisterhood remains the best idea
The most appealing thing about the Practical Magic legacy has always been the Owens women. The original film’s strongest quality was not necessarily its romance or even its supernatural mythology, but the way it treated female friendship and family as the emotional foundation of the story.
That remains true in the sequel. Sally and Gillian continue to support one another despite their differences, while the older generation of Owens women provides a connection to the past. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are particularly welcome, even though their roles mostly feel like a passing of the torch toward Kylie and the next generation.
That transition is potentially the most interesting idea in Practical Magic 2. Instead of simply bringing Bullock and Kidman back to repeat their old roles, the sequel could have explored what happens when the magical family legacy reaches daughters who have grown up without fully understanding where they come from. Kylie is therefore more than a younger version of Sally or Gillian; she represents a chance for the franchise to evolve.
Sadly, the film does not always take that opportunity. Maisie Williams, in particular, is left with very little to work with as Antonia, who spends much of the story in a hospital setting while Gideon remains in a coma. Her character feels sidelined despite being part of the same next-generation setup that gives Kylie so much attention.
There is also something slightly frustrating about how the movie handles its supposed emphasis on women. It repeatedly celebrates female solidarity, yet Ian receives a significant amount of narrative attention while characters such as Jet, Franny and Antonia are pushed into smaller roles. The imbalance becomes more noticeable because the first movie’s enduring appeal was precisely its focus on the Owens women.
Can nostalgia save Practical Magic 2?
Susanne Bier approaches the sequel with a clear understanding that audiences are coming for familiar faces and familiar feelings. Bullock and Kidman recreate the chemistry that helped define the original, while Wiest and Channing provide an affectionate link to the past. The production also retains the basic mixture of romance, family drama and supernatural storytelling that made the franchise distinctive.
But nostalgia can only carry a movie so far. When a sequel spends too much time recreating recognisable elements without giving them a stronger reason to exist, the result can feel more like an extended reunion than a story that needed to be told.
Bullock’s performance is particularly restrained, with Sally spending much of the first half emotionally closed off. That makes sense for the character, but the performance rarely gets enough opportunities to reveal what years of grief and fear have actually done to her. Kidman goes in the opposite direction, playing Gillian with such exaggerated energy that the character sometimes feels disconnected from the passage of time.
King ultimately becomes the person who gives the film its freshest energy. Kylie is allowed to be confused, emotional and inexperienced, and those qualities make her magical journey feel more immediate than the adults’ repeated arguments. The sequel is at its best whenever it remembers that this is supposed to be about what happens when an old family legacy lands in the hands of a new generation.
The biggest disappointment is that Practical Magic 2 had every ingredient needed to improve on the original. It had two established stars, a beloved sisterhood, a new generation of characters and nearly three decades of hindsight. Instead of using that opportunity to refine the concept, the movie frequently doubles down on the original’s meandering qualities.
Final Verdict
Practical Magic 2 is not without charm, and fans who have been waiting years to see Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman together as Sally and Gillian again will find moments worth enjoying. Joey King is a genuine bright spot, Lee Pace brings welcome charisma, and the return of Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing carries the warmth of a long-awaited reunion. The film also understands that the Owens family’s greatest strength has always been its women standing together.
But the sequel is simply too long and too predictable for the magic to last. Its 130-minute runtime exposes rather than solves the storytelling problems, while several characters are underused and the central mystery takes far too long to reach an outcome that is increasingly obvious. Rather than expanding the emotional world of Practical Magic, the film often settles for revisiting its familiar signposts.
PopcornRealm Verdict: 2.5/5
Practical Magic 2 remembers why people loved the original, but it never quite figures out how to make that love feel new again.
Practical Magic 2 Review: FAQs
Is Practical Magic 2 worth watching?
Practical Magic 2 is likely to appeal most strongly to viewers who already have an emotional connection with the 1998 original. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman remain enjoyable together, while Joey King provides the sequel with fresh energy. However, its lengthy runtime and predictable story make the experience less satisfying than its nostalgic appeal suggests.
Who stars in Practical Magic 2?
The film stars Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens and Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens. Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod also appear, while Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing return from the original. The cast combines returning favourites with a younger generation of characters.
What is Practical Magic 2 about?
The sequel follows Sally and Gillian Owens as they deal with another magical crisis involving Sally’s daughter Kylie. After Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon is critically injured, the family’s hidden magical history comes back into the story. Kylie eventually discovers clues that could help break the Owens family’s curse.
Who directed Practical Magic 2?
Practical Magic 2 is directed by Susanne Bier. She previously directed Sandra Bullock in Bird Box and worked with Nicole Kidman on The Undoing and The Perfect Couple. The screenplay is credited to Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel and is based on Alice Hoffman’s novel The Book of Magic.
How long is Practical Magic 2?
The sequel has a reported runtime of 130 minutes. That makes it considerably longer than the 1998 original, which ran for approximately 100 minutes. The extended runtime is one of the major criticisms of the film because the story takes a long time to reach its central mystery and resolution.
Does Practical Magic 2 focus on the next generation?
Yes. Joey King’s Kylie is central to the sequel and represents the next generation of the Owens family. Her magical abilities emerge alongside a difficult emotional situation involving love and Gideon’s injury. The film uses her story to explore how the Owens family’s legacy can affect children who were deliberately kept away from magic.
