Overview
A colorful journey through the mind of a young girl navigating life's challenges with her emotions.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- witty
- heartwarming
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an emotionally resonant, imaginative, and exceptionally crafted Pixar feature that makes complex ideas about childhood psychology accessible.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust operate as characters inside Riley's mind and influence her behavior.
The conflict centers on Joy's attempt to suppress Sadness and the eventual recognition that difficult emotions help Riley adapt.
Headquarters, memory storage, imagination, dreams, and abstract thought become distinct animated environments.
Riley leaves her Midwest home for San Francisco after her father's new job, disrupting school, friendships, and family life.
Films like Inside Out, and why
Toy Story 3
shares inventive personified inner life, family themes, emotional growth, and accessible animated storytelling
Up
shares imaginative world-building, childhood transition, heartfelt comedy, and Pixar's emotionally sophisticated family appeal
The Boy and the Beast
shares a child-centered fantasy premise, vivid visual design, humor, and themes of memory and belonging
A Monster Calls
shares whimsical personification of abstract emotional experience, warm family drama, and bittersweet coming-of-age themes
Movie Details
- Director
- Pete Docter
- Release Date
- 2015-06-17
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (23940)
Cast
- Amy Poehler
- Phyllis Smith
- Richard Kind
- Bill Hader
- Lewis Black
- Mindy Kaling
- Kaitlyn Dias
- Diane Lane
- Kyle MacLachlan
- Paula Poundstone
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Inside Out about?
- A bright, inventive journey through a child’s mind reveals why every emotion has a role in growing up.
- What is Inside Out like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Inside Out as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Inside Out violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Inside Out.
- What did critics think of Inside Out?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an emotionally resonant, imaginative, and exceptionally crafted Pixar feature that makes complex ideas about childhood psychology accessible.
- Which films are like Inside Out?
- Films with a similar feel include Toy Story 3, Up, The Boy and the Beast, and A Monster Calls.
- How long is Inside Out?
- Inside Out runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Inside Out?
- In United States, Inside Out streams on Disney Plus.
