Inside Out

There are few things more mystifying than human emotion. Disney and Pixar’s latest animated collaboration Inside Out takes a look at what’s really going on inside our heads through the mind of our leading lady Riley. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust are each personified and attributed their own vivid colours and personalities; all the emotions work together at “headquarters” to make up Riley’s unique personality.

When 11-year-old Riley moves to San Francisco with her parents, a series of events triggers inner turmoil at headquarters, where the emotions find themselves competing for control of the helm. Each emotion’s voice is perfectly chosen, with a stellar cast including Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Bill Hader (Fear), Mindy Kaling (Disgust), and Lewis Balck (Anger). Although the story’s arc follows a well-travelled trajectory, the notion is wonderfully novel and beautifully animated: a veritable emotional roller coaster, if you will.

As the title suggests, the plot itself focuses on a common and familiar human experience, but from a different perspective. No need for outlandish or magical external interventions on Riley’s life; as we all know, the mind is a minefield of its own – an ideal setting for a great adventure.

For a character in a children’s film, Riley (what little we see of her external character, at least) is refreshingly authentic and complex – someone a young audience can easily empathise with. That said, as with so many of these animated productions nowadays, age is in no way a factor when it comes to entertainment value; adults are as likely to enjoy Inside Out’s sweet, natural humour just as much as children will, if not more.

Nina Hudson

Inside Out is released nationwide on 24^th July 2015.

Watch the trailer for Inside Out here: