Inside Out 2 Review (2024)

Riley has just turned thirteen, and as if grappling with puberty weren’t a complicated enough rite of passage, her two best friends decide to drop a bombshell: they won’t be in the same school anymore! Enter Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy—new emotional tormentors that come with puberty—who must now share Riley’s head alongside Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, the beloved emotions introduced in the hit animated film “Inside Out” from 2015.

Created by the dynamic trio of Kelsey Mann, Meg LeFauve, and Dave Holstein, “Inside Out 2” is a delightful follow-up to the original, proving that lightning can indeed strike twice in the same place. Much of the original voice cast returns, delivering the same emotional punch we fell in love with. Amy Poehler reprises her role as Joy, the primary emotion influencing Riley’s choices with her trademark, almost obnoxious optimism. My personal favorite, however, remains the wide-eyed, blue ball of Sadness, voiced with a wonderfully melancholic flair by Phyllis Smith. Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) return, bringing their signature snark and fiery tempers, ensuring that the chaos within Riley’s mind is as entertaining as ever.

Watch Full Movie Inside Out 2 Here

This time around, the plot follows Riley, now voiced by Kensington Tallman, as she tries to impress the senior players to make the hockey team while navigating the treacherous waters of making new friends in a new school. However, Riley’s actions are now heavily influenced by the new emotions, especially Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke. Anxiety is a character design marvel, looking like she’s just escaped from The Muppet Show—an orange, crazy-eyed being with a wildly annoying ponytail. Envy, brought to life by Ayo Edebiri, is a cute variant of Disgust, only smaller and, dare I say, a tad bit cuter. Ennui, voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos, is the embodiment of teenage apathy—a cool kid who loves lounging on the couch and, true to her name, is perpetually bored and glued to her phone. Embarrassment, played by Paul Walter Hauser, is a big shy pink guy who seems like Sadness’ cousin, always keeping to himself and blushing at the slightest provocation.

As the new emotions take over the headquarters of Riley’s mind, the original squad—Joy and her crew—find themselves ousted and on a desperate mission to regain control and save Riley from the tumultuous changes brought on by puberty. To capitalize on the nostalgia factor, the writers cleverly introduce an adorable character named Nostalgia, who accidentally steps into Riley’s head for a brief moment. However, since thirteen-year-olds typically have little to do with nostalgia, the emotion is quickly shooed away by the others. Despite its brief appearance, Nostalgia's presence will undoubtedly make viewers reminisce about the first movie, as this sequel follows a similar plotline with Joy and her friends getting lost in Riley’s mind once again, having to find their way back to headquarters to ‘fix’ everything.

The sequel builds on the primary lesson of the first film—“It’s okay to be sad sometimes”—by exploring the theme of anxiety. Anxiety is painted as the definite villain in every adult’s life and, as “Inside Out 2” shows, in every teenager’s life as well. Maya Hawke’s Anxiety delights in imagining worst-case scenarios, pushing Riley into actions driven by insecurities about her future. One of the standout scenes involves Anxiety pushing away Joy and the other emotions to take over Riley’s personality. The older emotions scream, “You cannot just bottle us up,” but Anxiety, with her newfound authority, decides that bottling them up is a fantastic idea, providing a powerful metaphor for not letting fears dominate one’s life.

“Inside Out 2” is funny, familiar, cute, and all things nice, though it does get a little tedious in parts, especially during the scenes where the emotions try to find their way back to headquarters. On the bright side, Riley gets more screen time than before, allowing us to see her bumble through the myriad of teenage problems while playing ice hockey and doing her best to impress her coach. This increased focus on Riley adds depth to her character, showing her resilience and determination amidst the emotional chaos.

If you enjoyed the first “Inside Out,” the sequel is a worthy follow-up that captures the same charm and emotional depth. It’s a film that resonates with audiences of all ages, offering a heartwarming, humorous, and insightful exploration of the complex emotional landscape of adolescence. With its clever writing, stellar voice performances, and beautifully animated characters, “Inside Out 2” is a delightful journey through the mind of a teenager, reminding us all of the importance of understanding and embracing our emotions.