Emotional Animation

Pixar's Inside Out might make you emotional, and that's the point

With its first 11 feature films, Pixar accomplished something no other studio could ever match: an unbroken streak of stellar films. Then it put out the universally derided Cars 2, followed by two so-so films (Brave and Monsters University), and it was fair to wonder if the studio could ever recover the magic it once had.

Thankfully, that magic is back and then some, with Inside Out, easily Pixar’s most emotional film to date. And that’s not just because the main characters are literally emotions inside the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias): Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).

Up to now, Riley’s life has been mostly full of joy, as embodied by her core memories that rule her life, such as family, friends and hockey. But when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, her emotions start to get a bit out of whack, especially Sadness. When Joy tries to prevent Sadness from overtaking the good memories, all heck breaks loose, and the two of them must go on a journey through Riley’s mind to try to bring happiness back into her life.

The plot is an extreme high-wire act, as the film has to balance both the life of Riley and the actions of her emotions, which are as abstract as you can get. Yet somehow writer/director Pete Docter and the Pixar team make the inner workings of the mind seem as natural as anything else they’ve ever presented.

This is mainly due to the seemingly endless creativity they put on display. Memories are stored in spheres, vacuum tubes whoosh those memories to the various nooks and crannies of the mind, a Train of Thought runs throughout, and Long Term Memory stores the millions of things you’ve experienced in your life, even ones you may not want to remember.

But it’s far from just the visual aspects that impress. As they’ve done at their best, Pixar keeps the story simple enough for younger kids while also including details that appeal to older kids and adults. This is especially true with this film, as it features concepts that are only fully understandable once you’ve lived a good amount of life.

The truisms the film espouses are simple, but also ones that seem to be made clearer through the prism of Pixar. Everyone knows that no life can be filled with only joy, but that doesn’t stop us hoping for it, especially when parents think about their own children. Parents will want to come fully stocked with tissues, as multiple moments are likely to elicit tears.

The pitch-perfect voice casting doesn’t hurt matters, either. Poehler exudes pure joy, Hader’s neurotic voice is a great match for fear, Kaling’s Valley Girl delivery makes her a fit for disgust and Black, as he’s shown for years on The Daily Show, is the epitome of anger.

But for my money, Smith, previously best known for her work on The Office, is what makes the film work the most. Her line readings as Sadness are flawless, turning a character that could’ve been monotonous and one-dimensional into the heart of the film.

That the Pixar team could make an enthralling, moving and downright fun movie about the emotions a little girl feels when she’s faced with a major life change just reinforces the idea that they are the best filmmakers in the business.

The emotions — Anger, Disgust, Joy, Fear and Sadness — inside the head of the 11-year-old Riley in Inside Out.

Scene from Inside Out

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The emotions — Anger, Disgust, Joy, Fear and Sadness — inside the head of the 11-year-old Riley in Inside Out.

Movie Review

Humans are scarier than zombies in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

It’s not often that a return to a franchise after years of no activity results in an actual good movie, but 2025’s 28 Years Later proved successful by reuniting director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who made the original 28 Days Later. Another sequel, The Bone Temple, was filmed back-to-back with last year’s film, with Nia DaCosta taking over for Boyle in the directing chair.

The movie picks up soon after the end of the first film, with the young Spike (Alfie Williams) now an unwilling member of a group called the Jimmies, which are led by a man who calls himself Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Unlike the main group in the first film that was just looking to survive the zombie apocalypse, the Jimmies are a bloodthirsty bunch who gleefully attack any zombies they find and brutalize other survivors they come across.

The story also returns to Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whose solitary time at his self-built bone temple is interrupted by a massive zombie he has dubbed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Against the odds - and with the help of some morphine - Kelson is able to bond with Samson, giving Kelson some strange but welcome companionship. But with the Jimmies lurking nearby, any peace he’s found may soon be shattered.

DaCosta, working from a script by Garland, ably steps into Boyle’s shoes, putting the emphasis on the story rather than trying for lots of stylistic flourishes. That’s not to say that she doesn’t do great work, however. The creepiness and sadistic nature of the Jimmies comes through loud and clear under her direction, and she brings out the campy comedy that comes from the unexpected pairing of Kelson and Samson.

Like the first 28 Years Later, the story is somewhat of a slow burn. The film doesn’t have many plot developments over its 109 minutes, and so DaCosta must get by on mood rather than action for the most part. But when things do get ramped up, they can get very uncomfortable as the film does not shy away from extreme gore. The damage inflicted by Samson and other zombies is one thing, but when it’s sentient humans going savage, it becomes even more difficult to look at the screen.

The juxtaposition between the chaos of the Jimmies and the quiet existence of Dr. Kelson works well for the film. Their separation for the bulk of the story gives them plenty of time to have the characters come into their own. Sir Jimmy Crystal is the ringleader, but Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) gets her own showcase. Samson was already a (literally) big presence from the first film, but this film gives him a degree of humanity that gives the story more depth.

O’Connell made a big impression as the lead vampire in Sinners, and he’s just as interesting/intimidating here. Fiennes plays a character where being over-the-top is the natural reaction, and yet he keeps Kelson grounded in a number of ways that make him much more than one-note. Lewis-Parry was likely cast for his physique, but he brings out more from a zombie than you’d ever expect. Williams fades into the background a bit after his starring role in the first film, but he’s still strong.

Releasing The Bone Temple in January was not a great sign given the month’s reputation as a dumping ground for bad movies, but it actually proves to be a great choice. With most other releases being Oscar hopefuls or truly awful films, it stands out for being another compelling entry for the franchise, one that will make anticipation high for whenever the third film in the 28 Years Later series comes out.

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters on January 16.

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