Parents' Guide to

Inside Out 2

By Betsy Bozdech, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Growing up is emotional in thoughtful sequel; some peril.

Movie PG 2024 100 minutes
Inside Out 2: Movie Poster: The emotion characters all squish together, their faces up against the "glass" of the poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 65 parent reviews

age 9+

Relatable and empathic

Great film, my tween daughter said it was very accurate on what she is experiencing lately. My 8yo son wanted us to rate it a 9+ as he said some of it was confusing or a bit upsetting, and he didn’t feel like he would relate to it until he was a bit older. I think that’s probably accurate. Really clearly shows how anxiety drives the need to fit in for tweens and teens, the necessity to accept all parts of ourselves and the value of being authentic. Made me remember that time in my own life, while overlaying a new clarity of understanding that I think will help me support my kids better through their own adolescence. Highly recommend.
age 8+

Wasn't sure about it going in, but turned out to be good

Overall good and entertaining movie. Worth noting it does talk about puberty, but thankfully more in a general sense verses a detailed account. Conceptually more for older kids. There is a brief scene in the locker room where one of the girls seems to be wearing either a sports bra or belly shirt. But thankfully overall a funny, clean movie about navigating new emotions, good and bad decisions, learning from them, and developing an honest sense of self.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (65 ):
Kids say (76 ):

This thoughtful, emotional (literally!) return to the world of Riley and her colorful, expressive emotions is a worthy follow-up to the original. While nothing could quite recapture the full wow factor of seeing Inside Out for the first time, Inside Out 2 comes awfully close. The voice cast is great (though Hader and Kaling are missed), the story about teen friendship drama is relatable, the observations about puberty and teenage behavior are hilarious, and the messages about what it means to be your true self—and to love yourself and others unconditionally—are exceptionally relevant for teens but important for kids of all ages.

Plus, the emotions' journey through Riley's mind means that viewers get another round of imaginative takes on how memory and feelings function. A sequence set in the Deep Vault where Riley buries things she'd rather forget about is especially funny, and a tour of Riley's current Personality Island landscape feels spot on in the way it represents teenage priorities. Inside Out 2 is also nuanced and empathetic in how it depicts dealing with anxiety—both the emotion and the character. Like Joy in the first film, Anxiety is doing what she thinks is best for Riley. But also like Joy in the first film, her best intentions go awry, and she needs to learn to work with the other emotions to truly help Riley succeed. All of this again feels poised to help parents and kids have meaningful conversations about how they're feeling, and that's ultimately what makes the Inside Out films so special.

Movie Details

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