Inside Out 2
A sequel that features Riley entering puberty and experiencing brand new, more complex emotions as a result. As Riley tries to adapt to her teenage years, her old emotions try to adapt to the possibility of being replaced.
Despite a blockbuster budget of $200.0M, Inside Out 2 became a box office phenomenon, earning $1698.9M worldwide—a remarkable 749% return. This commercial performance validated the ambitious narrative scope, illustrating how audiences embrace distinctive approach even at blockbuster scale.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 7 wins & 106 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Riley's emotions work in perfect harmony at Headquarters. Joy proudly demonstrates how they've built Riley's positive sense of self through carefully curated core memories. Riley is confident, happy, and loved by her friends Bree and Grace.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when The puberty alarm suddenly goes off at Headquarters. Four new emotions arrive: Anxiety (orange), Envy (cyan), Embarrassment (pink), and Ennui (purple/indigo). The original emotions' control over Riley is immediately challenged. The status quo is shattered.. At 10% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 21% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Anxiety literally bottles up Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust in glass containers and sends them down a tube to the back of Riley's mind (the Memory Vault). Anxiety takes complete control of the console, declaring "I'll keep Riley safe." Riley's authentic self is abandoned; she enters the world of anxiety-driven behavior., moving from reaction to action.
At 51 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 42% of the runtime—significantly early, compressing the first half. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Riley makes the scrimmage team roster after completely abandoning Bree and Grace to impress Val. False victory: she's getting external validation but betraying her true friendships and self. Anxiety celebrates at Headquarters. Joy realizes the severity of what's happening - Anxiety is replacing Riley's entire sense of self. The stakes escalate., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 75 minutes (63% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, During the championship game, Riley suffers a complete panic attack on the ice and is sent to the penalty box. Her new anxiety-driven sense of self crystallizes into pure negativity: "I'm not good enough. I'm selfish. I'm a bad friend." Death of innocence/childhood self. Riley sits frozen, unable to move or breathe properly. The lowest point., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 67% of the runtime. Joy has the breakthrough realization: Riley doesn't need to be only one thing. Joy stops fighting and instead gently embraces all of Riley's memories - good, bad, complex, contradictory. She allows both positive and negative beliefs to exist simultaneously. "You are not just one feeling - you are all of them." Joy relinquishes control and accepts complexity. This synthesis of opposites gives Riley the key to healing., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Inside Out 2's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Inside Out 2 against these established plot points, we can identify how the filmmaker utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Inside Out 2 within the animation genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie and Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. Presage Flower.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Riley's emotions work in perfect harmony at Headquarters. Joy proudly demonstrates how they've built Riley's positive sense of self through carefully curated core memories. Riley is confident, happy, and loved by her friends Bree and Grace.
Theme
Sadness observes that "Riley needs all of us - even the sad memories help her grow." This hints at the film's central theme: emotional complexity and accepting all parts of yourself, even uncomfortable ones, are necessary for authentic growth.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Riley's world at age 12. Final day before three-day hockey camp. Strong friendship trio with Bree and Grace. The emotions' daily routines maintaining Riley's sense of self. Riley's bedroom, family dynamics, and passion for hockey are established.
Disruption
The puberty alarm suddenly goes off at Headquarters. Four new emotions arrive: Anxiety (orange), Envy (cyan), Embarrassment (pink), and Ennui (purple/indigo). The original emotions' control over Riley is immediately challenged. The status quo is shattered.
Resistance
Joy attempts to collaborate with the new emotions while maintaining control. Riley arrives at hockey camp and receives devastating news: Bree and Grace are going to a different high school. Anxiety begins asserting herself, arguing she can "protect Riley's future" better than Joy. Tension builds as Anxiety's influence grows stronger.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Anxiety literally bottles up Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust in glass containers and sends them down a tube to the back of Riley's mind (the Memory Vault). Anxiety takes complete control of the console, declaring "I'll keep Riley safe." Riley's authentic self is abandoned; she enters the world of anxiety-driven behavior.
Mirror World
Riley meets Valentina "Val" Ortiz, the cool high school hockey star and FireHawks team captain. Val represents everything Riley wants to be: confident, talented, accepted. This relationship subplot will teach Riley (and Joy) about authenticity vs. performing for others' approval.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - what happens when Anxiety runs the show. Riley becomes obsessively focused on impressing Val and making the FireHawks. She changes her personality, tries too hard, becomes performative. Meanwhile, Joy and the original emotions journey through Riley's mind (Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought) desperately trying to return to Headquarters.
Midpoint
Riley makes the scrimmage team roster after completely abandoning Bree and Grace to impress Val. False victory: she's getting external validation but betraying her true friendships and self. Anxiety celebrates at Headquarters. Joy realizes the severity of what's happening - Anxiety is replacing Riley's entire sense of self. The stakes escalate.
Opposition
Anxiety's control intensifies. Riley sneaks into Coach's office to read her notes (seeking validation), lies about knowing FireHawks players, acts increasingly unlike herself. Joy and emotions discover Anxiety is building a new "Sense of Self" based entirely on fear and inadequacy. They cross through "Sar-chasm" (sarcasm) and face setbacks. Riley's behavior becomes more desperate and inauthentic. The original emotions are running out of time.
Collapse
During the championship game, Riley suffers a complete panic attack on the ice and is sent to the penalty box. Her new anxiety-driven sense of self crystallizes into pure negativity: "I'm not good enough. I'm selfish. I'm a bad friend." Death of innocence/childhood self. Riley sits frozen, unable to move or breathe properly. The lowest point.
Crisis
Riley remains in the penalty box, paralyzed by panic. At Headquarters, even Anxiety realizes she's lost control and doesn't know how to fix it. Joy frantically tries to tear away the negative sense of self but can't. All emotions - old and new - are helpless. Dark night of the soul where control itself is revealed as the problem.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Joy has the breakthrough realization: Riley doesn't need to be only one thing. Joy stops fighting and instead gently embraces all of Riley's memories - good, bad, complex, contradictory. She allows both positive and negative beliefs to exist simultaneously. "You are not just one feeling - you are all of them." Joy relinquishes control and accepts complexity. This synthesis of opposites gives Riley the key to healing.
Synthesis
A new, multi-colored sense of self forms at Riley's core: complex, nuanced, authentic. Riley calms down, catches her breath, and returns to being herself. She finds Bree and Grace after the game and genuinely apologizes. All emotions - including Anxiety - work together at the console in harmony. Riley returns to the ice as her true, imperfect, complete self. The finale resolves both external (hockey/friendship) and internal (identity) conflicts.
Transformation
Back home, Riley hangs out with Bree and Grace in her room - friendship restored. At Headquarters, all nine emotions collaborate peacefully. Riley's new sense of self reads: "I'm still figuring out who I am." Joy smiles, no longer needing certainty or control. The closing image mirrors the opening but shows growth: from simple happiness to complex, authentic wholeness.