By: Henry Wei

The film Inside Out 2 happens in the mind of Riley, the main character in Inside Out 2, who is now trying to get through puberty. The sequel adds new emotions to show the ups and downs of going through puberty. With characters from Inside Out 1 Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear, the film is great to watch and can help you to understand your emotions.

In one scene, Anxiety, who is an orange creature with a long orange hair who tells the mind workers, who help with every day things, to project bad things about Riley’s hockey match the next day causing her insomnia. Director Kelsey Mann explains that this scene draws from his own experiences with anxiety, and it shows Anxiety’s influence in teenager’s lives. As Anxiety’s projections become too much, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, tells makes positive projections to stop Anxiety, which helps Riley.

Some other new characters are introduced to the show in addition to Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke.) These characters include Insecurity and Embarrassment who help Anxiety make Riley’s mind more complicated. That said, they bring in more perspectives and a better overall understanding of puberty.

The film effectively uses these emotions to show Riley’s inner world. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and now Anxiety, each represents perspectives of her personality, showing how complicated emotions are. The new characters show the challenges Riley faces as she grows up.

Inside Out 2 is a funny movie based on emotions, which makes it entertaining and informative so you can learn about mental health. By showing Riley’s emotions inside, the movie still continues to tell people about the importance of mental health.