Movie Discussion: Why Did ‘Anxiety’ Become 13-year-old Riley’s Main Emotion? (Inside Out 2)

Similar to its predecessor, the movie “Inside Out 2″takes place in two distinct worlds: the actual world where “Riley Anderson”resides, and the head world where her different emotions battle.

Despite facing a conflict with her parents when they relocated far from her hometown in the movie “Inside Out,”Riley successfully navigated the situation with the assistance of her five emotions. Since then, she has been enjoying a comfortable daily life. However, everything changes when she turns 13 and is faced with new challenges in her new environment, such as making friends and joining the ice hockey team. Along with these obstacles, Riley must also learn to cope with unfamiliar and complex emotions as she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings.

At the same time, “Anxiety”joins “Envy,””Embarrassment,”and “Ennui”in Riley’s emotion control center. “Anxiety”arrives with a carefully crafted strategy to ensure that Riley never errs, constantly anticipating and preparing for potential worst-case situations.

“As a key figure in the emergence of new emotions, “Anxiety”holds the belief that existing emotions, such as “Joy,”are no longer essential in Riley’s life. This leads to the decision to lock them in and prioritize a new “Riley Operation”with determination.”

Kelsey Mann, known for his work as a story supervisor on Pixar’s “Monster University (2013),””Good Dinosaur (2015),”and “Onward (2020),”has now made his feature film debut with “Inside Out 2.”Throughout his career, Mann has consistently portrayed characters with contrasting personalities finding harmony after facing conflict, a common theme in his work as a story supervisor.

Simultaneously, he stated that his creation of “Inside Out 2″stemmed from his belief that it was an “original”piece rather than a “sequel.”Subsequently, after thorough examination of the teenage brain, Kelsey Mann and his team conceived the notion of dismantling the “emotional control”center and further developing the plot.

As previously stated, the primary emotion portrayed in this work is “Anxiety.”According to Director Kelsey Mann, this feeling is a commonly experienced emotion among teenagers and was chosen as the main emotion because it can evoke understanding and empathy from a majority of people.

Furthermore, Kelsey Mann incorporated his childhood memories and his children’s development into the story, adding depth to the details. His children, who are currently going through puberty at the ages of 15 and 16, also served as inspiration for the story’s imagery.