Inside Out

Inside Out was one of my most awaited films this year. Praises were sung from nearly all corners of the internet; it was a comeback that was not to be missed. The film certainly lived up to its hype, and can be considered one of Pixar’s best works yet.

The audience is immediately introduced to Riley, as well as the emotions that reside inside her. There’s Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, with each of their doing their best to protect Riley. Each move they make creates a memory (color-coded depending on the dominant emotion), and it is through these memories that the personality of Riley is formed. The film picks up with two stories being shown simultaneously – Riley moving to a new city and dealing with change, and the emotions in total chaos about the change. It was quite an ordeal with controlling Riley and trying to make her happy, that Sadness accidentally tampers with a core memory, eventually sending her and Joy to the depths of Riley’s mind. Now both have to find their way back to headquarters while Disgust, Anger, and Fear try to keep things under control. 

Beyond the brightly colored setting and world-building the film has presented, the story lies deep within the development of Joy. For an emotion that’s good-natured, she lacked empathy, which made dealing with Sadness feel more of a chore. Joy was able to exhibit the different emotions that were present in Riley’s mind, but why was she having trouble contemplating sadness? Why does Joy feel the inherent need to shield Riley from Sadness, and in return, shield herself from the support Sadness is being there for? For an emotion, Joy herself was suffering from an existential crisis, mirroring Riley in terms of adapting to her new environment. This is why two scenes stood out for me, both of them depicting the importance and purpose of sadness. For Joy, it gives her a deeper understanding of her purpose in Riley’s life. 

Inside Out was a wonderful film, not only because of the excellent voice work of the actors involved, or the vividness of the world. It is not only because it was well thought off, and was absolutely funny and heartwarming. Rather its content is something that resonates deeply within us, reflecting our humanity. 

Final Word: Beautiful film, easily one of Pixar's best.

Cast: Amy Poelher, Bill Hader, Lewis Black

Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen

Year: 2015