After nine years, we’re finally getting a sequel to Inside Out. The sequel releases in theaters worldwide on June 14. In the wake of it, there’s no better time to revisit the first classic, which you can stream on Disney+ right now.
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For the past few decades, Pixar has made over two dozen animated movies that have captivated audiences of every age group. It is a testament to Pixar’s consistency and dedication to telling relatable stories in the most entertaining way possible. Everyone has their personal favorites, but Inside Out is always a list topper. When we first walked into the theaters nine years ago to watch it, we were not prepared for the movie that it turned out to be. It explores the theme of embracing every type of emotion and lets you know that it’s okay not to be okay.
What is Inside Out About?
Inside Out narrates the story of an 11-year-old girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) who along with her family, just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco, leaving all her friends behind. She now has to make new friends, adjust to a new school, and do everything all over again that she did in Minnesota. This obviously is a huge change for anyone, let alone a kid that young. The movie explores Riley’s inner emotions and represents them in a physical form. There are five of them — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black). Each of these emotions was given a distinct look and personality that is unique.
How an Entertaining Narrative Tackles Complex Emotional Themes
Inside Out starts with Riley being born with Joy alongside her, soon joined by Sadness.
Over the years, other emotions appear one by one; all working together to help Riley avoid eating broccoli and lead a happy life. Which was going great until Riley’s dad got a new job and they had to move to San Francisco. Riley and her emotions are now in turmoil, and have to figure out how to make the best of this situation. Obviously, nothing ever goes as expected.
For the majority of the movie, Joy is at the forefront, controlling Riley’s every action. Every time Riley finds herself on the brink of sadness, Joy comes up with a way to cheer her up, side-stepping all her negative emotions. Sadness is the one emotion that Joy doesn’t let in because she thinks Riley needs to be happy all the time.
But everything changes when Riley is asked to introduce herself to the class on her very first day. In the middle of her introduction, she starts feeling a gush of sadness remembering her days in Minnesota. Cut to inside Riley’s head, and we see that Sadness is following her intuition to touch one of Riley’s core emotional memories, triggering Riley’s feeling of sadness.
Joy, of course, tries to stop her, and during this scuffle, all of Riley’s core memories are sucked into a tube that transports them to the long-term memory part of the brain. While trying to save them, Joy and Sadness are both sucked into the tunnel too. Now, with both of them gone, Riley’s decisions are driven by Fear, Disgust, and Anger. Now these unlikely companions have to work together, find a way back to headquarters, and keep Riley from making a bad decision. This acts as a turning point in the movie, leading up down a path of emotional realization.
From here, Pixar does what they do best — create a believable and imaginative world, with characters that are very easy to get attached to, who take us along on their memorable journey. This is how we meet Riley’s imaginary friend, Bing Bong, a pink elephant with a suit and hat that don’t fit him whatsoever, but he’s charming nonetheless. He contributes to one of the best parts of the movie; you’ll know it when you see it.
What ensues is a beautifully balanced story, with pitch-perfect comedy and cry-your-heart-out moments that will stay with you long after.
The Mind Behind Riley’s Mind
Inside Out was directed by Pete Docter; who also helmed fan favorites like Monsters, Inc. and Up; the movie was bound to be in good hands. In an interview with ScreenSlam, Docter says that ‘his daughter Ellie was one of his main inspirations for the movie’, and the heart of the film makes that clear.
Watch Inside Out Before the Sequel Release
If you weren’t able to watch Inside Out in the theaters or just want to relive the movie, you can watch it right now by signing up for Disney+. Then, go out with your friends and family to catch the Inside Out 2 release this weekend with a $10 discount courtesy of Disney+ and Fandango.
If you’re a fan of Disney, be sure to check out our review of The Acolyte; the new Star Wars series now streaming on Disney Plus.
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