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I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
Brought to you by Pixar Animation Studios, the highly anticipated sequel, Inside Out 2, currently remains theatrically exclusive but may soon make its way to Disney+. Directed by Kelsey Mann and co-written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, this latest installment in the animation production franchise invites us back into the imaginative mind of Riley Andersen (voiced by Kensington Tallman). This time, however, Riley is no longer an eleven-year-old preteen but a burgeoning teenager navigating puberty with a whole new set of emotions.
The film kicks off by introducing us to Riley’s revamped Headquarters—more fluid and organized with a sprinkle of complicated. Similar to the ending of its predecessor, Riley’s memories now blend with her emotions, and a new “Sense-of-Self” tree has sprouted in her mental landscape. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Disgust (voiced by Liza Lapira), Fear (voiced by Tony Hale), Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), and Anger (voiced by Lewis Black) continue to steer Riley’s decisions, now with a heightened sense of confidence and understanding. Yet, what they don’t expect is their emotional equilibrium will be disrupted by a blaring signal labeled “Puberty” and the arrival of four fresh emotions.
Some spoilers ahead.
Four New Bombshells Enter the Villa
Riley’s teenage years bring the typical teenage upheavals but they’re not entirely threatening, such as starting high school. As a rising freshman with an urgent passion and excitement for hockey, she is hit with the news that her best friends will not join her. Following the heartbreak are subtle feelings of betrayal and anger, thus brewing the four new arrivals; Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), Envy (voiced by Ayo Edibiri), Ennui (voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser). Among them, Anxiety takes center stage, which is a clever narrative way of conveying this emotion as the ruler of notorious feelings.
Navigating the Emotional Maze
What I appreciated about Inside Out 2 was that it is not just a kids’ movie. Adults can find the deeper meaning from it in their own ways, too. The younger audience is offered valuable insights about their feelings during puberty and encourages them to embrace and manage them. In like manner, it teaches the older audience to personify their emotions to better understand and regulate them as the first step. The film ultimately underscores that all emotions are a natural part of the human experience. It’s told through Riley’s coming-of-age tale, its vibrant and humorous characters, and their screw-loose adventures.
This is all new territory for a new teen with no siblings to confide in and with friends she is trying to distance herself from. It’s only natural for her to feel alone, confused, and afraid, putting her feelings in the driver’s seat and leading to a clash among the emotions. Anxiety manages to manipulate her way through at the start but quickly becomes frustrated when Joy attempts to reclaim her position, resulting in the original crew’s temporary exile from the control room. With Joy absent and negative emotions at the helm, Riley’s moodiness and lack of joy are aptly reflected in the real world, growing an ego and causing Riley to stray away from the pure, goofy personality built.
The Structure and Functionalities of the Human Mind
We are given a more hypothetical insight into the human psyche, and it manages to be both tranquil and daunting at once. The narrative is tranquil in that it gives us a more visibly concrete idea about where things are and how things work in our heads. There could be specific places for specific things (e.g. Vault of Deep Secrets, The Sense-of-Self Tree, etc.). Inside Out 2‘s narrative is also daunting in that—if not careful—it has the power to kick you into existentialistic thought about who we really are, resulting in a lack of individualistic sense.
Do we actually have power over ourselves? Or are we being controlled by tiny little characters? Do we not have real agency? Are we—at the root of it—dull and insentient creatures? It is truly mind-boggling for a simple family movie concept to be so convoluted, but that is neither here nor there.
Logic
It seems as though Riley is ruled by her emotions and Joy is the manager, the rightfully earned primary emotion for a fulfilling life. But is that logical? Logic is certainly thrown out the window in this film franchise but it makes sense in the context of a young teen finding her way. That is to say, the emotions need to eventually learn how to band together or put Logic in charge instead of Joy. She happens to experience emotional and ironic turmoil herself despite trying to stay true to her identity when things go wrong. It’s almost as if there is an allegory in all this…
The process of Anxiety and Co.’s insurrection, when juxtaposing it to the real world of Riley’s life, is honestly a bit half-baked. It is not to say that it’s entirely impossible or even taboo. However, Riley’s sudden hits of anxiety and impromptu switches from complete joy to something negative may instead allude to an entirely different narrative. Still, that can be left ambiguous to viewers. Additionally, that is what makes Inside Out 2 so thought-provoking for all ages.
Anxiety Attack
I will say the climax of the film, as chaotic as it was, did alleviate some tension and anxiety within myself. At the height of the final battle between Anxiety and the rest, as Anxiety destructively forms a storm around her to block out any other emotions from gaining access to the control board, Riley has a panic attack. All the visible signs are there, and it’s something pretty relatable to everyone despite not being a common topic of conversation.
Seeing the physicalities play out as Riley struggles to catch her breath, shaking uncontrollably, terrified and confused at her emotions, only added to its credibility. Then, the scene of Anxiety going psychotic and overpowering all the other emotions that try to restrain her only makes allegorical sense. It was such a heartwarming way to villainize Anxiety and see it as simply on its own accord yet still manageable with mindful practice.
Final Thoughts on Inside Out 2
Despite its family-friendly veneer, Inside Out 2‘s intricate narrative prompts a deeper contemplation about the nature of self-control and emotional influence. I am glad these new emotions were introduced in the diegesis but it did take a little away from the story’s overall comprehension. It somehow mudded it, walking the tightrope between super simple and insanely complex to the point of incoherence. Considering the film’s original crew can cover more specific emotional sectors, it was almost unnecessary to develop new characters of their own (i.e., Fear can have anxiety, Disgust can be embarrassed). It would have been interesting to see the original crew grow with Riley into more complex characters themselves instead. Ever since the first Inside Out film, and going into this sequel, the emotions were already starting to express other emotions along their own defined roles.
What does this all mean for Riley’s future? As adults, we can predict a more fluid and harmonious work environment (frontal lobe is finally complete) for the control room, with the occasional work drama and power trips among the emotions, of course. Or will there perhaps be a threequel that explores Riley’s adult life with its significantly harder ups and downs? (*Dun dun dun*… I present to you, The Twenties!) Who will rule the control room when Riley has to do her taxes for the first time? More importantly, how would the emotions react to Riley’s therapist? These questions add an intriguing layer to the Inside Out universe, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating what’s next.
4/5-stars
The film is expected to stream via Disney+ later this September. Until then, Inside Out 2 is available to watch digitally!
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I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
