‘Inside Out 2’ overview: Riley grows up on this candy, disturbing sequel

IT‘s understandably straightforward to get cynical about Pixar sequels. Why do we want extra Automobiles or Toy Story films (or spin-offs) from an animation studio that prides itself on distinctive storytelling? Why, after a run of strong authentic movies like Soul, Luca, Turning Pink, and Elemental, do we have to revisit 2015’s Inside Out?

But out of all of Pixar’s films, Inside Out most invitations an natural sequel. Its exploration of the tangle of feelings inside our heads is completely suited to continuation, as a result of we as persons are evolving and altering on a regular basis! And when is that change extra dramatic than the beast that’s puberty?

Like 2022’s Turning Pink, which in itself proved a groundbreaking illustration of puberty, Inside Out 2 embraces the complexities of this daunting life stage, particularly when IT involves emotions of self-worth and anxiousness. The result’s a frank tackle psychological Health that proves extra mature than its predecessor, whereas additionally sustaining a well-needed contact of irreverence and Pixar consolation.

Inside Out 2 tackles the emotional challenges of puberty head-on.

Directed by Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 reintroduces us to Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman), now 13 years previous and nonetheless as obsessive about hockey as ever. Serving to her navigate the world are her 5 feelings: Pleasure (voiced by Amy Poehler), Disappointment (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Disgust (voiced by Liza Lapira), Concern (voiced by Tony Hale), and Anger (voiced by Lewis Black). After the occasions of Inside Out, the group is now a well-oiled machine, every serving to Riley in their very own means.

However wait, what’s this large, blaring alarm on the feelings’ management console? Why is a wrecking ball smashing headquarters to bits for a shock renovation? The chaos can solely imply one factor: Puberty has arrived, bringing with IT new feelings.

Main the cost is Anxiousness (voiced by Stranger Issues‘ Maya Hawke), a toothy orange puffball who hopes to guard Riley from every thing scary she “cannot see.” This largely means drawing up horrifying eventualities of every thing that may go unsuitable for Riley — a tactic that instantly rubs Pleasure the unsuitable means.

Becoming a member of Anxiousness are Envy (voiced by The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser). New, extra exaggerated character designs differentiate this group of feelings from the unique crew. Envy is teeny tiny, with enormous eyes that covet every thing they see. Ennui, a portrait of disaffected French cool, lounges like a limp noodle on a sofa. And whereas Embarrassment is by far the biggest of the feelings, he prefers to cover himself away within the depths of his sweatshirt.

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Tensions between new feelings and previous flare as Riley learns that her greatest buddies Bree (voiced by Sumayyah Nuriddin-Inexperienced) and Grace (voiced by Grace Lu) have been assigned to a special highschool. A summer season hockey expertise camp they’re attending might be the final likelihood they must play collectively on the identical workforce — however IT is also Riley’s likelihood to impress the coach at her new highschool, in addition to the the workforce’s formidable captain Valentina (voiced by Lilimar). Will Pleasure’s insistence that Riley follow Bree and Grace win out? Or will Anxiousness bulldoze years of friendship in her efforts to safe a “cool” future for Riley?

Inside Out 2 presents each as having deserves. After all you need Riley to stay near her friends, and naturally you need to see her succeed at doing what she loves. Certainly there is a strategy to carry the 2 collectively. As an alternative, Anxiousness locations the choices on a binary, kicks the previous feelings out of HQ, and units in movement a plan to construct Riley a brand new sense of self.

Inside Out 2 will get actual about psychological Health.

Watching Anxiousness’s plan play out will make you anxious your self. Severely, Inside Out 2 was probably the most disturbing viewing experiences I’ve ever had. But IT‘s additionally one of many movies the place I’ve felt most seen when it comes to its portrayal of psychological Health.

At each flip, Riley’s efforts to impress the highschool workforce go awry. She lets one mistake about the place she’s from snowball right into a nickname, she hides her actual pursuits in an effort to slot in, and she or he pushes herself to extremes to attempt to show she’s nice at hockey. Each painful social interplay will make you shrink to a tiny ball in your seat — not simply out of embarrassment for Riley, however out of consciousness that we have all been via related phases of awkwardness. Like Turning Pink or 2023’s Are You There God? IT‘s Me, Margaret, Inside Out 2 is aware of that empathy is any nice coming-of-age film’s secret weapon. So even should you’ve by no means picked up a hockey stick, you will really feel for Riley, Bree, and Grace as these buddies navigate an emotionally fraught scenario.

Riley’s experiences play out like a grounded coming-of-age drama, making for a pleasant distinction from the fantasy journey film enjoying out inside her thoughts. Inside Out already explored the plot of “core feelings must get again to HQ,” so its successor mixes up the groupings of the feelings, even separating Pleasure and Disappointment for a change. Generally, the scenes through which the feelings lament being misplaced can really feel too just like the primary film, so IT helps when Inside Out 2 throws new brainy obstacles in our feelings’ means, like a “sar-chasm” or a literal brainstorm. One notably hilarious sequence entails an encounter with Riley’s secrets and techniques, like the actual fact she nonetheless enjoys a Dora the Explorer-esque cartoon character named Bloofy (voiced by Ron Funches), or that she harbors a crush on oh-so-dramatic online game dreamboat Lance Slashblade (voiced by Yong Yea). The promise of those colourful excursions deeper into Riley’s thoughts is perhaps the hook for youthful viewers, but IT‘s the way in which through which they inform Riley’s real-world story that resonates essentially the most.

Inside Out 2 builds Riley’s troubles as much as a visceral climax that pulls no punches, proving simply how debilitating anxiousness could be. However identical to within the authentic Inside Out, the movie teaches a precious lesson concerning the significance of letting your self expertise feelings, as an alternative of compartmentalizing them or locking them away completely. (You will have tissues.) Even Anxiousness would not come throughout as an outright villain, simply somebody who overthinks issues to the purpose of disaster. Who amongst us hasn’t?

So whereas Pleasure and co.’s quest can generally really feel redundant, there is no denying that Inside Out 2 has one thing new — and necessary — to say. IT‘s the uncommon Pixar sequel that actually earns its existence and deepens the message of its first movie. And though IT might make you deeply, deeply, deeply anxious, IT‘s additionally, fairly merely, a pleasure to look at.

Inside Out 2 opens in theaters June 14.