In Pixar’s 2015 movie Inside Out, the ultimate message is that we all need emotional balance to fully experience life — which means embracing some of our less enjoyable emotions, like sadness and anger. That message plays out via five personified emotions commandeering the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, who’s navigating some big life changes.

Kelsey Mann’s 2024 sequel Inside Out 2 continues the theme — but this time, Riley’s going through puberty, so a host of new emotions crashland into her head. Inside Out 2 once again neatly emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation — but there’s also a separate thread about a teenager solidifying her sense of self and accepting that she isn’t going to be a totally good person all the time. That’s a particularly intriguing plot point — especially given how it plays out via a seeming character contradiction that’s never fully resolved. The whole thing could use more space and detail, but instead, it takes a back seat to the plot about emotional balance.

[Ed. note: This post contains end spoilers for Inside Out 2.]

In the new movie, Riley, now 13, is about to go to a prestigious hockey camp. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Riley’s other emotions think they have a handle on things, until a host of new emotions, led by Anxiety (Maya Hawke), arrive on the scene. Anxiety quickly takes over, convinced that her preparation and planning will set Riley up for success in........

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