Inside Out Review: An emotionally resonant masterpiece
Inside Out is one of Pixar's most popular and influential films, making waves due to its emotionally resonant storyline! In this review, I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, present my take on this iconic film. Although I have a plethora of hot takes under my belt, I absolutely love this movie and think it is a practically perfect movie. Now, why do I believe that? Let's dive right into that in today's article: an Inside Out Review: An emotionally resonant masterpiece.
The film delves into the life of 11-year-old Riley, a character whose experiences mirror those of many of us. Her world is turned upside down when she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. This emotional journey, which we all can relate to, is a testament to the film's ability to connect with its audience. Riley's struggle with change and her eventual realization that it's okay not to be happy all the time is a journey we've all (likely) embarked on at some point.
However, Riley isn't the central character of this film by any means. Instead, we follow Joy, the ringleader of Riley's psyche. As new emotions, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear are introduced, Joy gets progressively more antagonistic, trying to always get her way through toxic positivity. This instantly establishes Joy as a brilliant character as, while she is the protagonist of the story, she's also the clear antagonist of the story. Like the majority of Pixar movies, Inside Out balances childish fun and humor with nuanced, emotionally-rich storytelling. In this case, the resonant character growth comes through Joy, who goes through a character arc discovering that every emotion is there for a reason! There is no joy without sadness. There is no joy without anger—or fear or disgust. While this life lesson is a time-old adage plastered on the walls of practically every middle school I've visited, Inside Out makes the abstract idea of toxic positivity so much more feasible. While I found Joy to be an annoying and frustrating character, I felt like that was how I was meant to feel about her: a flawed character with a flawed perspective on how emotions genuinely work together toward a common goal.
Outside of Joy's character arc, there are so many other brilliant aspects of this film. Using proven psychological science and perfect animation, Pixar is able to tangibly visualize the psyche of the human brain, even in the more minor details. From the art design of each emotion to the way they walk, everything impeccably represents the emotional core of the narrative! The art style and execution allow children to fundamentally grasp the essentials of psychology, no matter their age! Not only is this movie fun to watch, but it teaches crucial life lessons to children in an understandable way—and that's why this movie is so special! The story, screenplay, and animation all come together to create a lightning-in-a-bottle idea that provides a multi-faceted film that inherently lends itself to sequels to explore the later stages of Riley's life, a fact cemented by the recent release of Inside Out 2.
While I've been rambling about the "perfection" of this film, I have a couple of gripes with the movie. The pacing in the second act is pretty poor, and many sequences are boring on rewatch. The adventure itself makes the runtime feel too long at times, especially when compared directly to the film's swift, snappy sequel. However, even in the weaker parts of the film, the allegory strongly continues to be educational, and the standout character, Bing-Bong, gets a tremendous amount of screen time, all the way up until the moment he sacrifices himself to save Riley from her depression. After a multitude of rewatches, that scene still makes me bawl every time—even as somebody who never made up imaginary friends as a kid.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 93%
Letter Score: S
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5
In the end, even with a couple of pacing issues, this movie immaculately amalgamates every element into an emotionally charged movie with a thought-provoking narrative, well-realized characters, and an enigmatic deep-dive into the human psyche. This is one of the few films I've watched that I would say is a must-see, no matter your age, background, or movie preferences. It is a profound experience that will teach you more about yourself. That's a guarantee.
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