'Inside Out 2': A Pioneering Achievement In Mental Health Representation

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (Clap Clap). If you’re anxious and you know it clap your hands! (Clap Clap) If you’re feeling emotional all about, then you should see the new 'Inside Out'. If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (Clap Clap). And oh am I happy!

At the time of writing this, I have now seen Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 3 times. It is simply that extraordinary! Releasing on June 14th to rave reviews and high levels of anticipation, Inside Out 2 smashed the box office wide open like the demo crew did with HQ when Riley’s puberty alarm went off. So, clearly, Inside Out 2 is another bona fide hit for Disney, and many have been calling it a return to form for Pixar. (Though I contend with that ideology because, with outstanding titles like Soul, Turning Red, Elemental, and more amazing works of art in recent years, I would argue that Pixar never left, and Inside Out 2 is further proof of that!)

Stepping into the director’s chair this time around is Kelsey Mann, who has been with Pixar since 2009 and is making his feature debut with this film. Mann takes over for Pete Docter, who is now the Chief Creative Officer for Pixar and is an executive producer on the sequel (he’s a busy fella). Despite concerns from some that this would be another Pixar sequel made purely for the money, I never had any of those doubts going into Inside Out 2. Similar to Toy Story, the original Inside Out is a very open-ended coming-of-age film with a universal appeal. Naturally, audiences were already interested to see where these characters go in the future. In essence, both the toys and the emotions are meant to help guide their kids into adulthood with ease.

Speaking of ease -- or lack thereof -- there is plenty of room for mental and emotional tension during Inside Out 2. The primary focus of the sequel is on the introduction of new emotions coming into Riley’s mind. Joining the stable of already chaotic emotions are Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui AKA Boredom (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), who is a bit shyer compared to the other emotions, so he doesn’t talk much. All of these new cast members are given plenty of room to shine with their prominent additions, with Ayo Edebiri providing constant laughs with her on-brand level of zaniness. Though, most of the spotlight comes from the addition of Anxiety in the most literal way possible (and Maya Hawke does exceptional work in that key role).

Usually, most movies have something to be representative of someone’s anxiety, but Pixar was like, “Nope, we are quite literally going to make Anxiety a leading character.” For Pixar’s usual brand of emotional roller coasters, that sounds about right. Much of the promotional material has featured the clashing viewpoints of Anxiety with the other emotions, namely Joy (voiced by the returning Amy Poehler). Now if that doesn’t scream "relatable", then I don’t know what does! In all seriousness, there are a bevy of talented voiceover performances across the board, with notable praise for Poehler, who is excellent as always, and Lewis Black as Anger consistently bringing in the rageful laughter. Thankfully, these emotions are, well, emotions -- i.e.: everyone has them.

And because everyone has them, everyone knows how nuanced they can be, leading to fully fleshed-out characters and not caricatures. Joy isn’t just happy-go-lucky. Anxiety has reasons for why she is so paranoid. Even somebody like Fear is probably the first person I would chat with after a stressful meeting. Without delving into spoilers, every single character has a fully fleshed-out reason for why they make their individual choices, whether it be the internal characters of Riley’s mind or the external characters in Riley’s life. Everyone feels like a real person, and frankly, that is amazing! The way that Pixar once again uses remarkable visuals to create such a natural storytelling language that reaches kids at their level and adults on their level is amazing! The balance between dramatic tension and hilarious comedic beats is amazing! All of the music from Andrea Datzman (a long-time collaborator with original composer Michael Giacchino) is amazing! Just about everything in Inside Out 2 is absolutely, 100%, amazing!

Yet, the most amazing thing of all may be within the themes of the movie’s story. Again, we promise not to reveal any secrets for those who haven’t seen the movie, but what we can say is that the messages of this franchise continue to be some of the most powerful Pixar has ever told. One of the central concepts of this film is balance, both between the emotions in Riley’s mind, and the choices that Riley makes outside of those emotions. Some of the most powerful moments of the film are bound to make audiences emotional themselves, especially with those who struggle with Anxiety and other mental health issues. This movie lays out how hard it can be to live with those emotions and thoughts, whilst simultaneously recognizing their importance in your psyche. Above all else, Inside Out 2 gives viewers a reminder that they are more than the emotions that they may be feeling — good, bad, and everything in-between. You are more than your anxiety. You are who you are and who you want to be. If that doesn’t seem incredibly important in the times we live in right now, it’s hard to know what is.

No matter what, Inside Out 2 is an exceptional cinematic achievement that is bound to continue its rule at the box office and parlay that success into Awards Season. Usually, I’m not one to say that people should stop everything in their life for a movie, even if it is very good. With that said, Inside Out 2 is an experience that must be experienced in theaters to prove why Pixar needs to continue making stories like this. Not just because it’s a sequel, but because the messages it provides for anyone who has ever struggled with mental health need to be shouted from the rooftops! (Hey, better that then the Tripledent Gum theme song...!)