It was May 2010. The hype was, frankly, exhausting. You couldn't walk past a newsstand without seeing Sarah Jessica Parker draped in Halston Heritage. Everyone expected Sex and the City 2 to be this triumphant victory lap. Instead? We got two hours and twenty-six minutes of Carrie Bradshaw screaming "Abu Dhabi-doo!" while wearing a Dior ball gown in the middle of a spice market. It was a lot.
Honestly, the movie feels like a fever dream now. Looking back, it’s a fascinating time capsule of pre-streaming cinema and late-aughts excess. It’s the film that almost broke the franchise. Critics absolutely slaughtered it—Rotten Tomatoes still has it sitting at a dismal 15%. But if you flip on E! or HBO on a random Sunday, you’re probably going to watch at least twenty minutes of it. Why? Because it’s camp. It’s ridiculous. It’s four best friends trying to outrun middle age in the most expensive way possible.
The Plot That Sent the Girls to the Middle East
The first movie was about heartbreak and the "I do" that didn't happen. Sex and the City 2 decided to take a hard left turn into "luxury problems." Carrie is bored with "sparkle-free" married life. Big wants to watch old black-and-white movies and order takeout. Miranda is being bullied by a misogynistic partner at her law firm. Charlotte is literally having a nervous breakdown because her toddler won't stop crying and she’s convinced her nanny, Erin (played by Alice Eve), is going to steal her husband because she doesn't wear a bra.
Then there's Samantha.
Samantha Jones is basically the engine of this entire sequel. She lands a PR junket to Abu Dhabi, and suddenly the New York City girls are flying private to the United Arab Emirates. Except, they didn't actually film in Abu Dhabi. The government there reportedly refused to give them permission after reading the script. So, the production moved to Morocco. If you look closely at those sweeping desert shots, you're seeing the dunes outside Marrakech, not the UAE.
The tonal shift was jarring for fans who loved the gritty, romantic realism of the original HBO series. Suddenly, the show about searching for love in a cold city became a travelogue about 24-karat gold facials and $50,000-a-night hotel suites. It felt disconnected. But in a weird way, that’s exactly what sequels in that era did—they went bigger, louder, and way more expensive.
Let’s Talk About the Fashion (and the Budget)
Patricia Field, the legendary costume designer, had a massive $10 million budget just for the clothes. Think about that. Ten million dollars. In the opening scene, Carrie walks across a street in a white Halston dress and gold Louboutins that cost more than most people's cars.
💡 You might also like: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
The movie is a relentless parade of labels.
- The Dior "J’Adore Dior" tee paired with a giant taffeta skirt.
- Those Chanel headpieces.
- Samantha’s spiked shoulder pads.
There's a specific scene where the women are wearing "modest" desert gear that is actually just high-fashion couture. It’s beautiful to look at, but it also highlighted the biggest criticism of the film: it felt out of touch. We were in the middle of a global recession in 2010. Watching four wealthy women complain about their "suffocating" lives while being pampered by personal servants in a palace felt... off.
Still, the craftsmanship is undeniable. Field used the film to showcase pieces from the Alexander McQueen archives and archives of vintage Mugler. For fashion nerds, Sex and the City 2 is less of a movie and more of a two-and-a-half-hour Vogue editorial.
The Aidan Problem
We have to discuss the return of Aidan Shaw. John Corbett showing up in a Moroccan souk is the ultimate "small world" trope that only happens in rom-coms. Carrie sees him, they have dinner, and then—the kiss.
Fans were divided. Some screamed at the screen because Carrie was finally settled with Big. Others cheered because Aidan was always the "good one." But the kiss felt like a regression for Carrie’s character. After six seasons and a movie of growth, she was back to making impulsive, self-destructive choices. It felt like the writers didn't know how to create drama for a married woman without making her cheat.
Cultural Backlash and the "Carrie" Fatigue
When the movie hit theaters, the reviews were brutal. Roger Ebert gave it two stars. The New Yorker called it "vile." Much of the criticism focused on how the film handled Middle Eastern culture. There’s a scene where the girls "rescue" local women who reveal they are wearing fashionable Western clothes under their niqabs. It was meant to be a "girl power" moment, but it came across as incredibly patronizing.
📖 Related: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
Looking back with a 2026 lens, the film is a masterclass in what not to do when writing international "fish out of water" stories. It relied on stereotypes that even in 2010 felt dated.
However, the film was a commercial hit initially. It grossed nearly $300 million worldwide. People wanted to see Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha together again, regardless of the plot. It proved that the brand was "critic-proof" for a long time, though the backlash was so loud it effectively killed the chances of a third movie for over a decade.
The Legacy: It Led to "And Just Like That..."
Without the chaotic energy of Sex and the City 2, we probably wouldn't have the current revival. The sequel was a lesson in what happens when you take the characters too far away from their roots. New York is the fifth character. When you remove the fifth character, the chemistry breaks.
The movie also marked the beginning of the very public end for the core four. We now know the behind-the-scenes drama between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall was peaking during this era. You can almost see the strain in some of the scenes. Cattrall has since been very vocal about her desire to leave Samantha behind, and this movie—with its heavy focus on Samantha’s hormones and libido—was a big part of that decision.
Was it actually that bad?
Honestly? It depends on why you're watching. If you want a nuanced exploration of female friendship and aging, it’s a failure. If you want to drink a Cosmo and look at $20,000 turbans while four funny women bicker in the desert, it’s a masterpiece.
It’s the "excess" movie. It’s the one where they sing "I Am Woman" at a karaoke bar in the desert. It’s cringe-inducing, yes. But it’s also unapologetically itself.
👉 See also: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
How to Revisit the Film Today
If you’re planning a rewatch, don’t take it seriously. It’s a period piece. It’s a document of a specific moment in Hollywood when "more is more" was the only rule.
What to look for during a rewatch:
- The Cameos: Penelope Cruz, Miley Cyrus, and Liza Minnelli (performing "Single Ladies," no less) all show up in the first 20 minutes.
- The Set Design: Look at Carrie and Big's apartment. It’s a mid-century modern dream that actually influenced interior design trends for years.
- Miranda’s Arc: Interestingly, Miranda’s storyline about work-life balance and toxic bosses is the part that aged the best. It’s the most "real" thing in the movie.
The film is currently available on Max and most VOD platforms. It remains a polarizing chapter in the franchise, but it's one that defined the limits of the Sex and the City universe.
Actionable Steps for SATC Fans
If you want to dive deeper into the reality behind the film, start with the "Origins" podcast by James Andrew Miller. He does a multi-part series on the franchise that gets into the gritty details of the second film's production and why the third one never happened.
Next, check out the book Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. It provides the cultural context of why the show mattered and where the movies went wrong.
Finally, if you're feeling adventurous, you can actually visit the filming locations in Morocco. The "Sahara Palace Marrakech" served as the backdrop for many of the hotel scenes. It's a real place you can stay at if you have a "Carrie Bradshaw" level budget. Just remember to leave the Dior ball gowns at home—they aren't great for sand dunes.