Overview
The first Inside Out movie introduced us to Riley, a fun-loving and sweet 11-year-old navigating the world with her core emotions of Joy, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust. Its sequel came out just this summer, nearly a decade later, and it’s now Pixar’s highest-grossing film to date. Inside Out 2 follows now 13-year-old Riley as she experiences the thing we all remember with bittersweet memories and slight cringe — puberty.
The onset of puberty brings new emotions that join Riley’s original four: Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui. Anxiety and Joy quickly clash as they try to help Riley navigate the ups and downs of her first experience away from her parents, an all-girls hockey camp.
Just like with the first movie, Inside Out 2 depicts this experience with deeply relatable humor and a sensitivity to the real turmoil teens face with understanding their own emotions. Specifically regarding the portrayal of Anxiety, psychologists have praised the movie for accurately portraying the role this emotion plays in the brain.
So, is Inside Out 2 safe for your child to watch? As you can likely guess, this is another great and thoughtful Pixar movie that just about all kids can enjoy. But let’s review some of the specifics so you know the important topics that may come up with your child throughout this movie.
Harmful Content ❗️
Inside Out 2 hits on some significant topics regarding mental health, but it’s all done in a tactful and palatable way. For young kids, some of it may go over their heads, especially the idea of puberty. Those who severely struggle with anxiety may find some scenes triggering, so parents may want to keep this in mind if they know their child is likely to be affected.
For example, at the end of the movie, Riley experiences an anxiety attack that depicts her hyperventilating and being separated from others. Inside her mind though, it’s portrayed as the emotion of Anxiety in the middle of a chaotic, tornado-like swirl of orange. The scene is meant to make the audience feel unsettled and overwhelmed to understand the stress one experiences during an anxiety attack. But then Joy comes to the rescue and helps Anxiety (and Riley) break out of it.
Language
There is no strong language for parents to worry about, besides some pointed insults such as “jerk” or “moron.”
Sex
There is no sexual content in this movie. There are mentions of attraction when the emotions discover Riley’s “Mount Crushmore.” Additionally, Disgust expresses particular interest in a strapping video game character.
Violence
Inside Out 2 has some suspenseful action scenes, but nothing out of the ordinary for most Pixar movies. As the emotions travel through Riley’s mind, they encounter things such as explosions, buildings falling, and other intense action scenes. They even get briefly locked in a dark, gloomy vault where Riley keeps her secrets.
Positive Value 💫
Aside from being entertaining to watch, Inside Out 2 also highlights the important topic of mental health in teens and general emotional wellness. Talking about anxiety in a real and non-judgmental way allows kids to know that it’s normal to feel these things and that they don’t have to manage it all on their own.
In addition, the movie has many meaningful themes, a prominent one being how to understand your own identity. Riley specifically struggles with two core beliefs about herself — “I’m not good enough” and “I’m a good person.” The end of the movie reveals that neither of these beliefs fully encompasses Riley’s identity — her new sense of self has to include both to have a healthy view of herself.
This is deeply formative for kids (and even adults!) to consider for their own lives. It’s a great opportunity for parents to discuss with their kids what they believe to be true about themselves and how to have confidence — all without feeling like they need to be perfect or loved by everyone.
And in true Pixar fashion, you can expect some hilarious and clever puns. For example, there’s the “Sar Chasm” that the emotions have to trek across in Riley’s mind and the brief appearance of an emotion depicted as a little old lady known as Nostalgia.
So, should my kid watch it?
Yes! This Pixar hit doubles as an entertaining and thought-provoking film, great for kids as young as 6 to watch.
