Inside Out 2 revisits the emotions that controlled young Riley in the 2016 original – and that are now joined by new, powerful feelings after she hits puberty. The sequel is ‘a triumphant creative return for Pixar’, according to Variety.
Exploring Riley’s Emotional Journey
The sequel to Inside Out brings both joy and disappointment among critics. In the original film, we were introduced to Riley’s core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. They navigated her move to San Francisco from Headquarters – the command center of her mind. Inside Out 2 picks up as Riley is now 13 years old, thriving in her new city, but facing the turbulence of puberty.
New Emotions Shake Things Up
This time around, Riley’s core emotions are disrupted by four new additions: Envy, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Anxiety. Ensuring these new emotions were depicted accurately, clinical psychologist and consultant Lisa Damour noted that as psychologists, we see anxiety as an important, valuable protective and natural human emotion
. In lesser doses, Anxiety can be constructive; Riley’s challenge finds its representation through this lens.
Cinematic Techniques Enhancing Realism
Director Adam Habib shared insights into the creation process: We started doing a lot of things like tightening up the shutter angle, so, suddenly, everything’s a lot sharper and the focus got a lot deeper as Riley’s putting more and more pressure on herself
. As Riley faces increased stress, these nuanced changes vividly convey her inner turmoil.
Managing Anxiety Onscreen
This authenticity doesn’t stop there. The climactic ending sees thirteen-year-old Riley in panic mode as she sits in the penalty box during a crucial hockey match. Damour explains touching something is what’s known as a grounding technique
, a tool taught by therapists to help manage intense episodes of anxiety. The method depicted through Riley holding her hockey stick provides viewers with relatable techniques seen directly onscreen.
A Blend of Criticism and Praise
No Pixar movie has ever provoked so little sense of wonder, wrote IndieWire. Yet amidst mixed reviews, others found much to celebrate in this anticipated sequel. At heart is how focus_on accurately bringing therapists’ roles into popular media can broad-stroke educate about mental health solutions for young audiences. New animation technologies certainly set this sequel apart from its predecessor while seeking to navigate an evolving narrative terrain.
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