Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Inside Out 2!

Summary

Inside Out 2almost had two additional new emotion characters, but given the film’s most uncomfortable scenes, it’s a good thing they were cut. The sequel to 2015’sInside Outsaw some new emotions introduced to Riley’s mind, including Anxiety, Envy, Embarrasment, and Ennui. These allowed Riley to experience more nuanced emotion as she entered into her teenage years. Naturally, with puberty in the mix, this also meant some painful moments on screen.Inside Out 2managed an outstanding balance to make this work, but its originally planned emotions would have thrown this off.

Inside Out 2writer Meg LeFauvehas revealed that the emotions Shame and Guilt were originally supposed to be included in the movie as well, but that they ultimately distracted from Anxiety, which was the primary focus of the sequel. Guilt would have seen Riley experience immense regret for her poor decisions, while Shame would have taken this a step further into self-loathing. These are certainly emotions common in the teenage years, andincluding them inInside Out 2could have meant important lessons about the necessity for teens to give themselves grace. However, they were better off cut.

Riley–From-Inside-Out-and-Inside-Out-2–

Inside Out vs. Inside Out 2: Which Pixar Movie Is Better

Inside Out and Inside Out 2 are both excellent movies, but when comparing their story, animation, cast, and big emotional ending, one stands out.

Inside Out 2 Was A Much More Uncomfortable Watch Than The Original Movie

The originalInside Outmovie was certainly powerful but was far more lighthearted thanInside Out 2. The sequel brought some of the more painful experiences of puberty to the screen. Riley was far more immature than the older girls at camp, and watching her attempt to fit in with them was downright painful. One ofthe most uncomfortable scenes to watch was when Riley mocked her favorite band to look cooler to the older teens, only to be called out by her friends. It was certainly relatable but also pretty cringey.

…there were surely many viewers who left the theaters feeling like they had just been through a hefty therapy session.

A composite image of Riley looking excited in front of the emotions crammed together in a small space in Inside Out 2

Then, there was Riley’s anxiety attack at theend ofInside Out 2. It was a beautifully constructed scene and served as an impactful representation of what it feels like to experience this in real life. Pixar really succeeded in bringing on the waterworks with this scene, and there were surely many viewers who left the theaters feeling like they had just been through a hefty therapy session. This is tough to achieve with a children’s movie, butInside Outmanaged it perfectly. However, adding in even more uncomfortable moments would have ruined the experience.

Shame & Guilt Would Have Tipped Inside Out 2 Over The Edge

Inside Out 2 Balanced Its Most Uncomfortable Moments Perfectly

Shame and Guilt would have brought moreimportant lessons toInside Out 2. Shame, especially, can lead a person to bury their thoughts and experiences in a damaging way, leading only to more bad behavior in the future. Guilt adds to this, and a version ofInside Out 2in which these emotions had been introduced would have surely resulted in more painful scenes for Riley that would have been even harder for audiences to watch.

As powerful as these scenes would have been, and regardless of the kinds of lessons teenage audiences could have taken away from it, Shame and Guilt would have madeInside Out 2far too dark. The movie was already just a tad less fun than its predecessor, andadding in such painful emotions would have tipped the balance, resulting in a movie that lacked any joy to watch whatsoever. Overall, it seems that Pixar made the right decision here, proving it knows where to draw the line. Plus,Inside Out2’s"sense of self" mechanic got the job done anyway.

Riley’s sense of self from Inside Out 2

Inside Out2’s director, Kelsey Mann, has also noted that Shame simply wasn’t fun to watch.

Inside Out 2 Didn’t Need Shame & Guilt Thanks To The “Sense Of Self” Idea

Riley Still Experienced Guilt & Shame Thanks To Anxiety’s Manipulation

While Shame and Guilt could have been personified asemotion characters inInside Out 2, this wasn’t wholly necessary. The movie introduced Riley’s belief system, which was a tree-like crystal with roots that connect to all of her past memories. Her experiences helped her establish a sense of self, which, at the beginning of the movie, was “I am a good person.” However, Joy had manipulated Riley’s memories so that only positive experiences contributed to her sense of self, and this wound up being a problem.

Anxiety took things in the opposite direction, and in an effort to make Riley better, she only allowed painful memories meant to motivate the girl to serve her sense of self. This resulted in Riley’s sense of self being expressed as “I’m not good enough.” Of course,Shame and Guilt would have been expressed similarly, so even without specific characters, the impact of these emotions is still included in the movie. This way, the primary lessons ofInside Out2were maintained without making this children’s movie too heavy to watch.

Inside Out 2 Poster Showing Joy and the Other Emotions Squished Together

Inside Out 2

Cast

Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.