Review by Coventry Thompson 

Members of the Marian Big Sister Program get excited to meet their little sisters on Aug. 15. Photo by Elizabeth Buescher  

Over the past few years, audiences have witnessed Disney put out numerous sequels and remakes, despite this going against audience wishes. This past summer, one major sequel that I did not see coming was “Inside Out 2.”

“Inside Out 2”  came out on June 14 as a sequel to the original movie that came out in 2015. The sequel was directed by Kelsey Mann. 

The movie follows the protagonist, Riley, on her journey to a hockey camp before the beginning of her freshman year of high school. Before she arrives at camp, Riley finds out that her best friends, Bree and Grace, are going to a different high school than her. 

This leads to the start of her battle with Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos): all new emotions that are introduced to the group of Riley’s emotions that debuted in the first movie. 

Throughout the movie, these new emotions, especially Anxiety, drive Riley to make problematic decisions to secure new friendships and a spot on the varsity hockey team, the Fire Hawks, at her high school. 

These actions lead Riley to grow apart from her best friends and become doubtful of her athletic abilities. Meanwhile, the old cast of emotions in Riley’s head—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear—desperately try to repair Riley’s identity that was corrupted by Anxiety. 

All of this leads to Riley having a panic attack by the end of the movie and forming a new sense of self that is a combination of all of her emotions, positive and negative. 

Over the past couple of years, I have been extremely critical of Disney sequels and remakes. I feel that the lack of original content in the past few years has made the movie-going experience less fun and worthwhile. After all, why would I go to the theater to see a ton of sequels that did not need to be made when I could wait for them to come out on streaming services?

However, “Inside Out 2” is a departure from the trend of tired sequels and remakes. The movie shows a more mature outlook on emotions, relationships and mental health than the first movie— perfect for an audience that has aged considerably since the first movie came out. 

Many elements make this film a worthwhile watch. First of all, I love how the plot showcases realistic struggles that many of us have probably faced. For example, Riley’s fear of being lonely in high school without her friends and acting in ways that do not reflect her to seem cooler to the older girls are things that have happened to all of us at least once. 

Secondly, I love how the film shows how self-doubt and putting competition above all else can lead to excessive anxiety and the formation of a negative self-image. We are not strangers to these feelings; being a high school student comes with an inherent competitiveness that can often lead to anxiety, self-doubt and even panic attacks. 

Izumi Huang-Fujiwara ’26 and Elizabeth Nguyen ’25 share a hug at Mass at the sign of peace on Aug. 22. Photo by Elizabeth Buescher.

Although I enjoyed the movie, the one critique I have is how Riley seemingly took control of her anxiety in a matter of days. For many of us, this type of journey takes months or even years. The movie could have been a little better if Pixar showed a plot that took place over a matter of months and showed Riley slowly beginning to take control of her anxiety. 

The thing I loved most about “Inside Out 2,” however, is what I perceived to be the core message of the movie. Even though as we get older we may experience more complex emotions— anxiety, pressure to fit in and self-doubt— that doesn’t mean these negative experiences have to be our self-identity. 

I also loved the secondary message that all experiences in life, positive and negative, are important to forming our sense of self. We all have successes and failures, highs and lows, and flaws and strengths that make up who we are.

Despite some criticism, the movie was a great metaphor for mental health, nonetheless, and proved that not all sequels these days are an attempt to continuously bait audiences to pour money into unoriginal content. I hope that production companies take note of the success of  “Inside Out 2” and only make sequels for stories that still have amazing and heartfelt messages for audiences.