People on TikTok were obsessed with Inside Out 2, but why?

"Inside Out 2", although an animated film was embraced by all ages. Riley, the main character in the film, becomes a teenager and begins her struggle with anxiety and the need to fit in. Instantly the film has gone viral on TikTok and people are loving it.

Careful! This article contains spoilers! 

First, let's show some details from the movie: Riley has her friends everywhere with her and is the "star" of the hockey game. Everything changed when she spent one night in puberty and 4 new emotions appeared: Envy, Boredom, Shame and most importantly, Anxiety.

 
In reality, we do not suddenly develop additional emotions during adolescence, but our emotional experiences are more intense and less stable than in childhood. The fact that we all have those emotions present in our everyday life made them embraced, in turn, and analyzed by everyone.
 
You may have seen on social networks viral parts from the animated film with the two characters "Ennui" and "Anxiety" that for various reasons were liked more by the audience.

 
First we have Ennui, a blue emotion that has no nerves for anyone, that everyone was expecting to have the standard English name of boredom (boredoom).
 
She is dressed in loose and comfortable clothes and is always seen with her phone in her hand, looking nonchalantly at the screen.
 
Already in the trailer for Inside Out 2, she gives a sense of the emotion the film tries to convey. Distanced from the rest of the group, she lies on the sofa, staring sleepily at her phone – a state that seems consistent with how how teenagers (and adults) express their boredom.
 
As Joy (the emote of joy) tries to pronounce her name in the trailer, Ennui says, in a bored French accent: "It's what you'd call boredom." And this character's French accent was enough for him to go viral and everyone says how much they see themselves in this character.
 
But let's move on to the main reason.
 
When we think of teenagers experiencing anxiety, we usually perceive it as a health issue But "Inside Out 2" shows that anxiety is a normal feeling and can have a positive purpose, as long as it doesn't take over your entire life.

 
Here, we see how anxiety can play a positive role in our lives. Anxiety takes charge and presents itself as a forward-looking emotion, helping Riley avoid the bad consequences of her actions.
 
As shown in the film, the problem arises when anxiety takes more and more control of Riley. A new concept introduced is the development of a sense of self, consisting of threads of beliefs that Riley has about herself and that are linked to her memories, such as: "I am a good friend."

 
At the end of "Inside Out 2," Anxiety is troubled after she accidentally destroys Riley's confidence by making her think, “I'm not enough.” She becomes overwhelmed, trying to fix the mess she made. As she moves ever soon, Riley begins to show signs of an anxiety attack.Her heart beats fast, her breathing becomes rapid, and her leg begins to shake uncontrollably.

Inside Out 2's portrayal of an anxiety attack might be one of the best scenes in a Pixar film — which is important, considering the studio has never shied away from tackling the tragic parts of life. This, too, proves why accurate audience representation matters.

Suggested articles: