Inside Out 2 Is a Masterpiece—But I Have One Complaint

I took my niece to see Inside Out 2 last Friday. She's 9, and she loved it. I'm 34, and I loved it too—but for very different reasons. Pixar has done it again. They've made a movie about complex emotional development that works for kids and adults. But there's something in the film's conclusion that I can't stop thinking about. And I'm not sure it's entirely right.

Let me back up. The original Inside Out came out in 2015 and it was a revelation. It turned emotions into characters and showed us that sadness isn't a weakness—it's essential for connection. That movie made me cry in a theater full of children. Inside Out 2 picks up with Riley as a teenager. She's 13 now, and her emotional life has gotten more complicated. The core emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust—are still there, but they've been joined by new arrivals: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui (boredom). The plot revolves around Anxiety taking over the control panel and trying to micromanage Riley's life, leading to chaos.

Anxiety Gets a Face

Anxiety is voiced by Maya Hawke, and she nails it. The character is a bundle of nervous energy—fidgety, hyper-vigilant, always planning five steps ahead. She's not evil, just misguided. She wants to protect Riley from failure and rejection, but her methods are suffocating. The movie's central conflict is Joy and Anxiety fighting for control, with Riley caught in the middle. There's a brilliant scene where Riley has to decide whether to betray a friend to fit in with the popular kids. Anxiety pushes her toward the betrayal, convinced it's necessary for social survival. Joy, as always, argues for authenticity.

The message is clear: anxiety can be useful, but not when it's running the show. That's a good message for kids. But here's the thing—the movie resolves by having Anxiety step aside and let Joy take over again. Riley learns to accept all her emotions, including anxiety, and moves forward. It's a beautiful, cathartic ending. My niece was crying happy tears.

My Problem: The Simplification of Mental Health

Here's my complaint. The movie treats anxiety as a temporary state that can be managed by simply choosing to let go. And for kids with mild anxiety, that might work. But for the millions of teenagers (and adults) who struggle with clinical anxiety disorders, the message is more complicated. Anxiety isn't just a feeling you can acknowledge and move past. It's a chemical imbalance, a learned pattern, a chronic condition. The movie doesn't address that. It doesn't show Riley going to therapy. It doesn't show her learning coping strategies. It just shows her accepting her anxiety and everything being fine.

I'm not saying Pixar needed to make a documentary about SSRIs. But I worry that kids with real anxiety might watch this and think, "Why can't I just let go like Riley?" I talked to my niece afterward about the difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. She's 9, so she didn't fully get it. But I'm glad we had the conversation.

The Animation Is Stunning

I should mention that the movie is gorgeous. The new emotions have distinct, expressive designs. Anxiety is a jittery, orange figure with shifting proportions. Embarrassment is a giant, pink blob that's constantly trying to hide. Ennui is a bored, gray character who only moves her eyes. The animation studio outdid themselves. The scene where the emotions are lost in a maze of Riley's memories is visually inventive and emotionally resonant.

The voice cast is fantastic. Amy Poehler is still perfect as Joy. Lewis Black is still hilarious as Anger. But the standout is Maya Hawke—she brings a vulnerability to Anxiety that makes you sympathize with her, even when she's causing chaos. There's a moment when Anxiety breaks down and admits she's terrified of making a mistake. It's heartbreaking.

Final Thoughts

Inside Out 2 is a worthy sequel. It's funny, it's beautiful, and it tackles a difficult subject with grace. My complaint about the simplification of mental health is real, but it's not a deal-breaker. The movie is a conversation starter, not a textbook. If you have kids, take them. If you don't have kids, go anyway. It'll make you think about your own emotional landscape. And you'll probably cry. I did.