Pixar Animation Studios

This year, 2024, Inside Out 2 came out in theaters for people across the world to watch. Inside Out 2 showed the complex feelings and hormones teenagers face while adjusting to life. It shows the negative decisions and actions we take towards others as we grow and adapt to different circumstances. This movie is great because it gives young viewers a visual representation of the things they feel currently. It’s relatable for all ages, and I think the movie did a great job at expressing how little control we have over our emotions.

As seen in the movie, Riley, a 13-year-old girl struggles with internal changes while attempting to manage friendships and a stable family life. This is very hard for her considering she’s growing apart from her friends, as they have to move away, and she craves belonging. Riley simply wants to fit in like any other teenager her age and her desperate attempts only makes her life harder. She’s pretending to be something she isn’t which, in return, negatively impacts her friendships. Riley has always had her main emotions controlling her life such as sadness, joy, anger, fear, and disgust.

The theme of identity and belonging is seen throughout the movie. It’s relatable for me and others because at some point in life, we’ve struggled with knowing who we are and possibly pretending to be someone else. I think the movie is great for younger viewers because it visually shows how important it is to be yourself. We all have different emotions which are completely normal. In a way, Inside Out 2 validates the feelings of teenagers, preteens and even young adults. It’s hard managing new, complex feelings at such a young age. Emotional maturity is something you grow into and it takes so much time. Riley often makes bad decisions because of her new emotions and thought processes.

One dominant emotion which caused the collapse of Riley’s life was anxiety. This was a completely new feeling to Riley, and, inevitably, made her life worse. Anxiety led Riley to make terrible decisions such as abandoning her friends, being aggressive with others (which led to an anxiety attack), lying and even sneaking into places she didn’t belong in. This part of the movie resonated with me because I’ve struggled with anxiety and there were many opportunities I missed out on due to the fear of being judged. I felt as if no one understood me but the way anxiety is expressed through Riley’s head and actions validates how I felt.

Inside Out 2 was overall an amazing film that many teens around the world can relate to. It helps parents understand why their children act the way they do while also allowing teens to feel validated and heard.