Film Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ is a Winner From Pixar and a Moving Testament to the Need to Love All of Ourselves

Pixar is at their best when crafting original stories. Many point to Inside Out as the animation giant’s last masterpiece, not without merit, too. The sequels that they put out, on the other hand, are often seen as lesser efforts. There’s no less care put into them, but sometimes there’s less of an idea at play beyond recreating magic. Now, Inside Out 2 very much does recreate the magic of the last one, but it also has a new hook, an important message, and terrific craftsmanship. It all adds up to a massive success from the studio, as well as one of the best films of 2024 so far.

Inside Out 2 could easily have been tossed off, or even just fallen into middle tier Pixar, like basically all of their non Toy Story sequels. Somehow, we instead have a film that impeccably builds upon Inside Out to create something more complex and even more satisfying. The movie brought me to tears when the last one did not (I know, I’m one of the few). The simple message that we should all love all of ourselves builds out into a memorable cinematic experience for the whole family.

Picking up shortly after Inside Out ended, we again meet Riley (voice of Kensington Tallman) and the emotions working within her. Joy (voice of Amy Poehler) is in command, with her team of Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale), and Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira) working in tandem. Riley is a teenager now, skilled at hockey, and has two close friends. Invited to a three day hockey camp on the eve of High School, it’s an opportunity for her not just to make the school’s Varsity hockey team, but to also establish herself in a choice social circle. However, the night before…puberty begins.

Puberty brings with it new emotions, led by Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke). Bringing with her Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (voice of Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (voice of Paul Walter Hauser), she quickly establishes dominance over Riley’s emotions. Banishing Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust away from Headquarters, they must make their way back, rescuing Riley’s sense of self too, while Anxiety and her crew begin reshaping the teen. What makes us, at our very core, ends up being the focus of the third act, with incredibly moving and even profound results contained within.

The voice cast once again is led by Amy Poehler, with Maya Hawke making a terrific showing as the central newcomer. The former is still our hero, while the latter is as close as the film gets to an antagonist, though obviously that kind of label goes against the work’s central message. Poehler grounds things and lends even more layers to Joy. As for Hawke, it’s a manic and even moving performance that so many audience members will relate to. Her take on Anxiety will hit you right in the heart. Lewis Black is again a bit underutilized, though amusing, while Phyllis Smith has slightly less to do this time around. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira take over for Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling, respectively, and the change is seamless. Returning once again with limited by welcome parts are Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan as Riley’s parents. Paul Walter Hauser has very little to do among the newcomers, though Ayo Edebiri and Adèle Exarchopoulos make the most of their little moments. Kensington Tallman assumes the role of Riley and is lovely, crafting a young woman we only want the best for. Also in the cast we have Flea, Lilimar, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, Bobby Moynihan, Frank Oz, Paula Pell, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, June Squibb, and more.

Director Kelsey Mann understands what we want with this film and gives us more Riley. Working on a screenplay by Dave Holstein and Meg LeFauve (LeFauve and Mann share a Story By credit as well), he has a single-minded goal to entertain, while in the process compelling you to love yourself. He’s acutely successful, too, whether it’s the comedy, the serious moments, or even the adventure of it all. The getting back to HQ aspect is again the flick’s weak link, but it’s a tiny issue. Mann gives voice to some very mature thoughts, though it’s always done in a way that adults and kids can equally latch on to. It’s such impressive work, taking complicated material and making it go down easily.

Inside Out 2 exceeds all expectations by tapping into what it means to be grow up. It’s supreme entertainment that also managed to bring me to tears. It’s hard to say what Pixar’s standing is with the Academy in categories beyond Best Animated Feature, but this deserves to be an Oscar player. Simply put, it’s one of the company’s best. I hope we check in with Riley every decade or so, growing with her and evolving. They’ve cracked the code with her. Bravo.

SCORE: ★★★1/2