Inside Out 2 Actually Made Me Cry — And I'm Not Ashamed

I walked into Inside Out 2 with low expectations. The first Inside Out (2015) is one of Pixar's best films — a genuinely original concept about emotions, executed with wit and heart. Sequels to original films rarely capture the same magic. Finding Dory was fine. Toy Story 4 was good but unnecessary. I assumed Inside Out 2 would be cash-grab territory.

I was wrong. I cried three times.

The Setup: Anxiety Joins the Team

The film picks up with Riley, now 13, navigating middle school. Her core emotions — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust — are joined by a new arrival: Anxiety (voiced perfectly by Maya Hawke). Anxiety isn't a villain, exactly. She's more like an overzealous project manager who thinks she's helping but ends up causing chaos.

That's the genius of the film. It doesn't demonize any emotion. Anxiety is portrayed as a natural, even necessary, response to new challenges. But when she takes over, she drowns out everything else. The result is a story about finding balance — not eliminating anxiety, but keeping it in proportion.

Why It Hits Different as an Adult

The first Inside Out resonated because it reminded us that sadness is okay. This one hits because it speaks directly to anyone who's ever felt overwhelmed by their own brain. I'm 34, and I saw myself in Riley's struggle to manage a flood of conflicting emotions. The scene where Anxiety creates a "doom scenario" in Riley's mind — a spiral of worst-case possibilities — is so accurate it's almost uncomfortable to watch.

My therapist once told me that anxiety is just a protective mechanism gone haywire. Inside Out 2 visualizes that perfectly. Anxiety isn't trying to hurt Riley; she's trying to keep her safe. She just doesn't know when to stop.

The Voice Cast Is Perfect

Returning cast members are as good as ever. Amy Poehler's Joy remains the heart of the film, but she's given a more nuanced arc this time. She has to learn that not everything can be fixed with optimism. Phyllis Smith's Sadness is still wonderfully understated, but she gets a bigger role — and one of the film's funniest moments (a deadpan observation about a forgotten homework assignment).

New additions are excellent. Maya Hawke brings a nervous energy to Anxiety that's both relatable and a little exhausting (in a good way). Ayo Edebiri voices Envy, a tiny green creature that's always wanting what others have, and she steals every scene. Embarrassment (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser) is a giant, silent blob that turns red and hides — a perfect physical comedy character. And Nostalgia (voiced by June Squibb) appears briefly as an old woman who wants to reminisce about "the good old days." Joy tells her she's not needed yet. It's a great joke that lands differently depending on your age.

The Animation Is Stunning

Pixar always delivers on animation, but this film has some standout sequences. The "Stream of Consciousness" is a trippy, flowing river of thoughts that looks like a Kandinsky painting come to life. The "Belief System" is a tree that grows or shrinks based on Riley's core memories. And the final act, set inside a "Sar-chasm" (yes, a sarcasm chasm), is both visually inventive and hilarious.

The colors are warmer than the first film, reflecting Riley's transition from childhood to adolescence. The new emotions have distinct design languages: Anxiety is a jittery, orange blur; Envy is tiny and green; Embarrassment is a large pink lump that deflates when it feels seen. The attention to detail is incredible.

Does It Live Up to the Original? Mostly.

Here's the honest truth: Inside Out 2 isn't as groundbreaking as the first film. It can't be — the concept was already established. But it's a worthy sequel that expands the world in meaningful ways. The emotional beats land because we've already spent time with these characters. When Joy has a moment of doubt toward the end, it carries weight because we know how much she cares.

The film is also funnier than I expected. There's a running gag about "Pouchy" (a forgotten emotion from Riley's childhood) that had the audience laughing out loud. The Bloofy and Lance Slashblade subplot (a parody of low-quality children's cartoons) is absurd and delightful.

My only criticism: the final act feels slightly rushed. The resolution comes a bit too neatly, and I wanted more time with the new emotions after they find their place. But that's a minor complaint.

The Verdict

Go see Inside Out 2. Take a kid if you have one, but honestly, it's a film for adults. It made me think about how I manage my own emotions, how I talk to myself when I'm anxious, and how I can be kinder to the parts of me that are just trying to help.

I wasn't expecting to cry at a Pixar sequel in 2025. I'm glad I did.