I vividly remember my experience of watching the original Inside Out almost a decade ago — on the screen behind a stranger’s headrest, at 10,000 meters in the air, as I quietly tried to suppress my sobbing. I was a teenager at that point, and it was as if I discovered a new emotion myself: movies can and will MAKE you cry.
In 2024, where concepts like attachment theory and personality types are as common in conversation as favourite TV shows, Inside Out 2 taps into our collective fascination with the human mind. It continues to make nuanced psychological ideas accessible and engaging for audiences of all ages. This time, Riley’s emotions must navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence: puberty, peer pressure, and identity formation.
Visually, the film introduces the physical manifestation of an individual’s core beliefs about themself as crystals that strengthen and build over time. It suggests that as we grow older, we are less guided by raw emotions and more so by our beliefs and sense of self-identity. This metaphor beautifully illustrates the coming-of-age shift from a child’s raw emotional responses to the more complex interplay of identity and self-awareness.
Adding a new cast of emotions to Riley’s mental crew is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Maya Hawke’s Anxiety is a standout, bringing depth and relatability to the character. On the other, the expanded cast means some emotions feel more like flat caricatures than fully developed personas. It’s a conundrum: how do you give depth to characters that are supposed to be single-faceted emotions? The film tries, but sometimes stumbles, leaving some characters feeling more like props than participants in an otherwise emotional journey.
Without Pete Docter’s direction, Inside Out 2 loses some of the sparkle that made the original so captivating. It’s Pixar but with a hint of assembly-line polish. Kelsey Mann’s directorial debut is definitely competent but lacks the unique flair and creativity that Docter brought to the first film. The recasting of Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader as Disgust and Fear also contributes to the sense that something is missing. These changes stem from significant shifts at Pixar: Docter had to replace John Lasseter as the studio’s chief creative officer after Lasseter’s sexual misconduct allegation, while Kaling and Hader declined to return after only being offered 2% of their costar’s salary.
The intrusion of economic and administrative upheavals into the creative process serves as a stark reminder of the film’s place within Disney’s vast capitalist engine. I’ve seen advertisements for this film plastered on campus and felt discomfort at the Hollywood marketing machine infiltrating our academic spaces. This film is a testament to the company's power and reach, and raises questions about the cost of such omnipresence. Does the relentless drive for profit ultimately dilute the unique qualities that make films like Inside Out so special in the first place?
The film might not break much new ground, yet in an era where much of our cultural output is overly self-referential and formulaic, it's still refreshing to see a sequel that remains rooted in an original concept. Inside Out 2 challenges modern capitalist ideals of constant happiness and unyielding self-confidence. Instead of reciting the tired notion that we must always be joyful, anxiety-free, and unwavering in our self-belief, the film offers a more profound message: true self-love sometimes means accepting our imperfections and letting go of the pressure to be perpetually happy.
Inside Out 2 reminds us that two things can be true at the same time: while the film has its flaws, it doesn’t fail to resonate personally. The struggles Riley and her emotions face aren’t confined to adolescence; they’re universal and enduring. Feelings of anxiety, envy, ennui, and embarrassment don’t disappear after our teenage years. As I navigate my early twenties, I see friends grappling with the same waves of growth change, often accompanied by self-doubt, insecurity, and a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction. It’s uncomfortable, challenging, and far from easy. Even though Inside Out 2 may revisit familiar ground, sometimes re-examining our beliefs is exactly what we need. The film’s exploration of emotional complexity is a poignant reminder that it’s okay to feel conflicted and unsure—these emotions are part of our ongoing journey.
David Liu is a final-year student studying Computer Science, Creative Writing and Film Studies. He loves all 3 equally, some more equally than others. He is the guitarist of a band called “The Zooey Deschanels”.
