Released in June 2024, “Inside Out 2” has reached fame all over the world with it earning $1.25 billion and making it to the top as the fourth highest-grossing animated movie of all time. The movie follows the life of Riley, a young teenage girl getting ready to face high school, as she struggles to keep old friends, make new ones, and figure out her identity.
Along with Riley, her emotions play a big role in the movie as characters who are essentially in charge of her emotional reactions, beliefs, and sense of self. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust were introduced in the first movie, but in “Inside Out 2,” new emotions were also introduced as a representation of Riley maturing: Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment and Envy.
During the time the first movie was released, many of us were around six to nine years old, and now we range from 15 to 18. Though it may not have been purposeful, the growth that we went through was actually parallel to the growth of Riley, which has established a deeper connection to the movie’s message for many high school students.
This is one of the many unique connections that Pixar made in the movie. Portraying emotional growth to a large audience is complex but Pixar definitely managed to pull it off with the many references to real life they made.
‘Bottled up emotions’ were depicted as the original emotions quite literally being stuffed into the bottle and ignored. The common habit of teenagers using sarcasm was represented as a chasm opening up in Riley’s mind. Anxiety losing control over Riley’s mind during the panic attack really honed in on the chaos and terror one feels during those moments. The increase of the memory marbles having more than one color showing how it’s possible to feel multiple emotions in a moment. And perhaps as a sum of the movie’s message, Riley’s belief tree growing as a combination of both Anxiety and Joy’s contributions.
Even with all these improvements, how does Riley actually relate to real adolescents? The teenage phase of life is complicated and full of nervousness when making new friends, stress about expectations and grades, and confusion about who they want to be.
Junior Vennela Kunchala said, “Riley was a relatable character in the way she faced social stress and embodied my struggles from freshman year.” “Inside Out 2” captured these challenges as parts of the plot but in terms of age, Riley most aligns with the freshman experience; both are starting a new chapter of their lives in a new challenging school environment.
AP Psychology teacher Mrs. Bischer recommended our Morris Hills freshman “to try out different stuff since high school is a great opportunity to figure out who you are.” Don’t be afraid, freshman! It’s okay to feel overwhelmed when juggling so many responsibilities, but be sure to not shy away from an opportunity (and there are so many here) when it comes!
“Inside Out 2” is truly an impactful movie, especially with mental and emotional health becoming more acknowledged. So go out and watch this movie with your friends!