It’s not an exaggeration to say that Inside Out is not only Pixar’s best film, but one of the greatest children’s movies ever imagined. Some may prefer the humour of Finding Nemo, the unexpected idea of Ratatouille, the masochistic self-loathing of Cars 2 (hey, whatever you’re into) – but this story about how our emotions work and affect us is not only a delight to watch, but changes how we think about our feelings.
The film’s pseudo-protagonist is Riley, a good-natured eleven-year-old who has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. But the real stars are the anthropomorphised Emotions inside her brain. There’s leader Joy (voiced by the ever-chipper Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) – and then Sadness (Phyllis Smith), who Joy tries to ignore as much as possible.
The move throws Riley’s Emotions into turmoil, and sends Joy on an epic quest through her brain. Along the way, we visit the perfectly conceptualised Imagination Land, board the Train of Thought and venture into the sinister Subconscious. We even experience the Hollywood-style production of Riley’s dreams. Along the way, Joy discovers that she can’t always protect Riley from Sadness, and it’s actually important for Riley to feel and express all her emotions – not just the good ones.
Jumping from the Emotions to Riley’s interactions in the real world not only keeps the story grounded, but shows us how the Emotions translate to life, allowing us to empathise in a genuinely revolutionary way – not just with Riley, but with everyone around us.
Even by Pixar’s exceptionally high standards, the film is unapologetically complex and filled with intricately layered ideas. A sequence that sees the Emotions deconstruct in the realm of Abstract Thought is both wickedly clever and terrifying. All the while, the rainbow-bright visuals communicate the dangers and victories colourfully enough that kids will understand the stakes and the feelings, if not the exact psychology. Just like life.