Inside Out 2: A Relatable Family Film

Tina Mayeux offers her review of summer sequel Inside Out 2 and shares how its themes were relatable for her family.  

Pixar’s Inside Out 2 picks up where the original left off in 2015, with the main character Riley Anderson enjoying life as a well-adjusted teenager — until the perils of puberty unexpectedly usher in a host of new emotions. When Anxiety takes over, causing havoc and nearly destroying her sense of self, Riley must come to terms with her new feelings and learn to navigate the social and psychological difficulties of adolescence.  

A rocky transition from childhood to adolescence

The sequel accompanies its young audience into the intensity of the teenage years and helps them identify other new emotions they may be feeling, such as envy, embarrassment, and ennui, (or boredom). My husband and I especially appreciated the movie, remembering our teenaged and young adult daughters’ enjoyment of the original film, and knowing that they could relate to Riley’s rocky transition from childhood to adolescence.   

Anxiety emerging as the antagonist of the movie and the dominant new emotion Riley is feeling is pertinent to struggles that our family has been facing lately. One of our daughters has been experiencing fear over driving, hesitating to practice on the busy streets of our city and telling us that, to her, it is “scary.” Understanding that fear and anxiety can be very challenging emotions to wrestle with, I am trying to encourage her not to let her apprehension keep her from driving.

While our daughter’s anxiety is preventing her from ordinary activities, in Inside Out 2, it causes Riley to act impulsively and impetuously and to frantically catastrophize, anticipating every worst-case scenario that could possibly happen. Anxiety finally causes Riley’s emotions to spin wildly out of control, spiraling her into a full-blown panic attack at a pivotal moment in a high-stakes hockey game. 

While the movie helped my daughter to realize that she is not alone with her feelings of anxiety, it was also relatable and cathartic for me. I am no stranger to panic attacks. Having struggled with anxiety since having had my last child in 2009, I could sympathize with Riley’s situation as she broke down in the penalty box during that hockey game. It was helpful to observe how she eventually learned to hold back the negative thoughts which were causing her to feel worried and distressed, and to replace them with more comforting, realistic messages.  

An enjoyable film for families with adolescents and teens

The movie is suitable for adults and adolescents, with a PG rating due to a few fleeting references to mature themes, some cartoon violence, and characters in dangerous situations. During the film, Riley struggles with temptation and making good choices, illustrating the conflict we all experience as humans in choosing virtue over sin. Although she gives in to her baser impulses and makes some poor decisions that alienate her friends, she ultimately realizes her mistakes, apologizes, and is reconciled with them. These situations highlight the importance of friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness, and the need for repentance and redemption.  

The movie was entertaining and enjoyable for our family and helpful in labeling and understanding emotions, even for adults. It tackles themes such as growing into adulthood, how our memories shape our emotions, and making moral decisions. Not surprisingly, however, there were no representations of faith in the collection of characters in Riley’s soul. Although Joy takes the lead in restoring Riley to her former self when her personality is hijacked by Anxiety, there is no mention of a spiritual component to her psyche. Her positive sense of self in the movie, which communicates, as its primary message, “I’m a good person,” neglects to recognize God as its Creator and Source, relying simply on positive memories and feedback from loved ones.

Aside from this omission, the film provides much food for thought and inspiration, and examines how our thoughts and beliefs affect our feelings and emotions. Our whole family found Inside Out 2 to be captivating and refreshing. Its message was timely and appropriate for its fan base, many of whom can no doubt relate to this clever take on the turbulent teenage years just as our daughters did. It is a fun summer sequel for the family, engaging and relatable for adolescents and adults alike.  

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Copyright 2024 Tina Mayeux
Images: Copyright 2024 Disney/Pixar, all rights reserved.