2024’s “Inside Out 2” is an emotional movie that accurately portrays how teenagers feel. I loved the movie. It made me feel like my feelings were valid and understood. I rate this movie a 5 out of 5 for how it did a good job of explaining that puberty affects teenager’s emotions.
It connects to people on a personal level. Directed by Kelsey Mann, the film takes the audience through the mind of teenage Riley. It teaches everyone that it’s okay to not understand your emotions fully, but to know it’s okay to feel them. “Inside Out 2” portrays teen emotional development and connects with its audience on a personal level.
The movie’s character development and relatability are the main contributors to its emotional impact on teenagers. Riley faces new challenges and emotions as she figures out being a teenager. She deals with peer pressure, making new friends, and experiencing first love. This is a realistic demonstration of how it’s normal and okay to be struggling as a teenager who hopes to feel more understood and less alone because of how they Riley grows and learns to manage her emotions.
“Inside Out 2” effectively shows the emotional journey of teenagers by focusing on themes of change and transition. Riley starts high school, which affects her social interactions and she performs well in hockey, which leads her to a team full of upperclassmen. She felt pressured to choose between new friends and her long-time friends. It helps the audience understand that throughout high school changes will occur and there will be times you feel pressured and overwhelmed but can certainly find a balance like how Riley eventually did.
“Inside Out 2” highlights the importance of mental health by showing the emotional experience of growing up. All of the characters that play Riley’s emotions did a great job of fulfilling their role of showing how some emotions occur more than others. These emotions at times overwhelmed Riley, but while Riley was maturing, she understood how to control it. The emotional struggles shown within the movie help encourage the audience to understand and express their feelings. Mental health is centered throughout the movie, showing the creators believe it is very important and connected to real life.
Compared to other emotional kinds of movies, such as “Frozen,” for how it touches on emotional levels, “Inside Out 2” offers a deeper and more meaningful theme. “Turning Red” is a coming-of-age movie similar to “Inside Out 2,” but doesn’t emphasize the internal emotional journey like “Inside Out 2” portrays.