Emotions and feelings are the driving force of our lives. All people have emotions (Yes, even sociopaths, who are known to lack empathy, have emotions). Imagine giving these emotions their own personalities that reflect them. Then, put them in a colorful and fascinating world that represents the human brain of an adolescent girl going through intense shifts in her life. Somehow, put it all into a children’s movie that’s able to explore themes such as depression, along with the complexities of it. That is the genius of the Pixar’s Inside Out.
Inside Out, released in June of 2015, was a film all about people’s emotions. The film, while not considered the best Pixar movie, was praised by critics and fans. It was praised for its unique approach in giving a more mature message to viewers compared other previous Pixar movies. For the most part, Inside Out was the beginning of Pixar movies delving into more mature and complex messaging throughout their films. While Pixar always had this tactic to some extent, Inside Out took things to another level.
Movies released after Inside Out like Coco, Soul, and Elemental all focus on mature topics with a nuance. However, they all are maintained with fun feelings, just like Inside Out. Coco explored death, family history, estranged families, and people’s memories of their lost loved ones. Soul introduced kids to the topic of existentialism. Elemental focuses on racism and different cultures in a way that many movies couldn’t do. These movies, while fun kid’s movies at heart, all explore these mature themes and bring something for people of all ages. They may be oriented for kids, but Pixar’s tackling of mature themes along with excellent visuals and characters attracts older audiences as well.
Over time, Inside Out grew in appreciation from fans. There have been talks of a sequel since it was first released in theaters. Many people wanted to see the emotions and Riley return even more after a multitude of fan-made trailers were released on Youtube. A sequel to Inside Out was finally announced at the Disney D23 in 2022, over seven years after it had been released. A teaser trailer for the film was finally released on November 9th, 2023.
While the plot points of the Inside Out sequel aren’t known yet, in the trailer we learn that Riley is turning 13. This tracks with what we already know as, at the end of the first movie, the emotions react to a new puberty button which appears on the console. In addition to Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear, new emotions will be appearing in the sequel. In the trailer, we’re introduced to Anxiety who is voiced by Maya Hawke. Other emotions like Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy were also teased with the short trailer, but not much is known about them yet.
More details about the movie will likely surface in the coming months. For now, we’ll have to wait and see for more information. Inside Out 2 is set to enter theaters on June 14, 2024.
