Practical Magic 2 Movie Review (2026)

A whimsical fantasy about the Owens sisters facing a new threat to their family and its generations-old magic, Practical Magic 2 is a cute and nostalgic return filled with familiar characters and witchy fun, even if the story occasionally gets a little goofy.

The only time I watched Practical Magic was when it first came out in 1998. I’m not sure why I never watched it again because I remember enjoying it, but with the second movie being released, I thought it was time. It’s an endearing film, and this doesn’t happen to me a lot, but I was wholly distracted. I seriously could not get over how beautiful both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were in that movie. I’m not exaggerating. My goodness, they’re stunning.

Practical Magic 2 brings us back to the Owens sisters and their aunts. It picks up a few years after the end of the first movie, with the death of Sally’s husband, Gary, and the continuation of the curse that says that any man loved by an Owens woman will die quickly. At this moment, Sally rejects her magic, removes it from her daughters’ memories, and makes Gillian promise to never tell the girls what they are. Several decades later, the twentysomething girls come home to celebrate Aunt Jet’s birthday with the family. Jet, aware that her days are numbered, finds a book that could let her sister, Frances, end the family curse, but after Kylie’s boyfriend gets hurt, she takes the book to look for answers on her own.

This is a cute and playful movie that runs a little long and gets fairly messy with its lore, but it’s still globally entertaining. Those are the many feelings I cycled through as I watched this film. Was it necessary? Potentially. People love to revisit their friends, and it’s always great to see what they’ve been up to years later, but it does start to feel questionable and convoluted as the runtime stretches out.

Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing all return in their original roles, with the additions of Joey King, Lee Pace, and Maisie Williams (whose talent is wasted – why cast such a prolific actor in such a side character?). The love between all of the women is lovely, and the aunts in particular are eccentrics that you’d want to spend all of your time with. As a side note, I found it odd that Kidman’s natural Aussie accent kept peeking through, but I digress.

There isn’t a lot to say about Practical Magic 2 except for this: If you loved the original Practical Magic movie, you’ll enjoy the nostalgic notes that carry over to the sequel. It was clearly created with fans in mind, pulling out a tale that continues the themes of sisterhood, family, and legacy. The story itself is predictable and meandering, but that doesn’t really matter if you’re spending time with people you love. So let that be your guide. I was entertained.

Runtime: 130 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Available: Currently in theaters, preorder on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms