The Imprint

In June earlier this year, the long awaited sequel to 2015’s adored Inside Out hit cinemas and early this month it became the highest grossing animated film of all time, overtaking The Lion King (2019). Which begs the question… What about this franchise makes it so popular?

Having loved Inside Out, I was skeptical that this second one would blow me away as much as the first, but I was proved very wrong.

What I really enjoyed about Inside Out was how thoughtful it was, how it took the time to analyse people’s emotions and how it was relatable for teenagers and even adults. The thoughtfulness I saw in Inside Out seemed to triple in its sequel, expanding to different scenarios and most noticeably, new emotions.

Inside Out 2‘s storyline follows its goofy, lovable protagonist, Riley, as she combats the struggles of trying to impress people and comes to terms with friends moving away, all with the backdrop of puberty.

I’m assuming you’ve watched the movie, if you’ve gotten this far but if you haven’t this is your official spoiler alert!

The movie introduces us to Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment, who are all part of the puberty package, and a complete shock to Riley’s primary emotions. Both groups of emotions seem to have different agendas when it comes to approaching the changes in Riley’s life, leading to a fallout.

Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust are then kicked out of Riley’s ‘brain’. They then spend the rest of the film finding their way back to headquarters to rebuild Riley’s sense of self, which without them has been controlled by Anxiety.

The kicking out of Riley’s primary emotions connects with the audience because puberty does often feel like the removal of the old self. Followed by an unknown, new part of yourself coming to light.

Riley continues to spiral out of control, until the original emotions make their return. Both groups then begin to work in harmony, understanding each other’s importance. The ending sees a new Riley, strengthened by the joyful memories of her childhood but having the confidence that she can overcome the anxieties of her future.

Inside Out 2 shows that bridges don’t need to be burnt between the old self and the new self. Instead assurance can be established when there’s acceptance of the old self and a paving of the way for the person you’re becoming. It also stresses the fact that people are a multitude of emotions and experiences, we will not always be happy nor will we always be anxious.

The movie is as complex and intricate as it sounds, just like we are and our emotions tend to be. Perhaps this complicated messaging is why there were many more adults than children when I went to watch the movie on premiere night.

I believe that this movie truly connects with adults, especially those who experienced anxiety and never understood how to handle it. The movie aims to show people that they aren’t alone in their anxieties.

How did Inside Out 2 make you feel:

“Emotional, but in a good way. It made me feel like I was reliving a younger part of myself” – student, aged 14

“I’ve never seen a movie like this, we need more like this” – student, aged 20

“Everyone has those feelings at that age… I’m glad that the younger generation has that support and recognition of difficult emotions, there was nothing like that when I was growing up” – business owner, aged 47

It’s clear that the Inside Out franchise has been successful as it has inspired other touching and relatable movies in more recent years. 2020’s Soul emphasises on the importance of the little things in life, a nuanced message which seemed to unfortunately slip under the radar. 2022’s Turning Red focuses on all things teen, zooming in on the challenges of adolescence and spinning it into a relatable film. But I believe this is just the beginning of films like this…

While there is an established base of adult cartoon TV ranging from industry titans like The Simpsons to new and quirky favourites like Big Mouth, it seems there is a gap in the movie category.

I agree that most cartoon films, made by both Disney and Pixar, are loved universally beyond childhood because they offer comfort and share important lessons on friendship, change and loss. But the Inside Out franchise seems to have a more personal, warming touch. Its success shows us that there is a desire and demand for these movies that truly understand what it means to be human.

Over to you, Disney and Pixar!

Thank you for reading and I hope my next piece brings you back to The Imprint!