Growing Pains, New Emotions: Why Inside Out 2 Hit Me Harder Than I Expected
When I walked into Inside Out 2 last year, I was expecting a charming Pixar sequel, maybe a few laughs, maybe a soft emotional punch at the end. What I didn’t expect was to feel seen.
The first Inside Out was about protecting the people you love. In the first film, Joy and Sadness learned to coexist in order to help Riley hold onto her childhood identity. It was brilliant, heartwarming, and felt complete. However, Inside Out 2 dives into something messier, something painfully familiar. It grapples with the abrupt storm of adolescence and the desperate need to figure out who you’re supposed to become.
Inside Out 2 introduces us to a now-teenage Riley and four new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. Each one felt uncomfortably close to home. As someone in my very late twenties still trying to navigate identity, career, and belonging... watching Riley wrestle with anxiety and the fear of disappointing others felt like holding up a mirror. A mirror that not only I hold up now, but a mirror I’ve held up since I was Riley’s age.
What stood out even more was how the film subtly celebrated diversity and representation without feeling forced. Riley’s hockey team includes players of various backgrounds. The entire environment feels naturally multicultural. It is a reflection of a real-life space that kids grow up in today. There’s also a quiet nod toward Riley’s admiration for her teammate Val that, while not overt, speaks to the emotional complexity many kids, even adults, experience in defining connection, admiration, and their self-identity.
Sure, the film doesn’t go as far as it could have in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. That’s a conversation Pixar still needs to have. Even without shouting its message, Inside Out 2 feels like a quiet affirmation that growing up looks different for everyone. It’s something worth celebrating.
Throughout the movie, Riley repeats to herself, “I’m a good person.” It’s not a throwaway line, but more of a quiet mantra, and honestly, it hit me hard. I think a lot of us, especially in our teens and twenties, find ourselves repeating those reassuring words. Maybe not to others, but to ourselves. It’s like we’re trying to drown out the inner noise of anxiety, self-doubt, and comparison. That line made me think about how often we tie our worth to how well we’re doing, how we’re perceived or how much we fit in. Riley saying she’s a good person reminded me how many people carry that same need for reassurance, no matter their age.
It’s also worth noting, Inside Out 2 has a creative team made up of over 50% women, which you can feel in how emotionally honest and nuanced Riley’s internal world is. The film handles girlhood and emotional change with grace and care, in a way that doesn’t wander or oversimplify.
It is rare these days to walk out of a movie and want to talk about it with everyone you know. However, Inside Out 2 was different. It left me feeling nostalgic, a little emotional, and deeply grateful for the way it let me feel a little more understood.
By: Hayden Hartfield
Inside Out 2 is available to stream on Disney+
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