Did you just watch Inside Out 2 and now wish you could live full-time in a colourful Pixar world where emotional processing can go from complete chaos to smooth cooperation in under 2 hours? If so, you are not alone.
Over the years, few studios have been able to gently pick apart emotional themes in a lighthearted, accessible way like Pixar. Indeed, the studio is now synonymous with making both adults and kids weep with cathartic emotion, and Inside Out 2 is no exception. So, if you’re not quite ready to leave Bing Bong behind, check out 10 other movies you can watch to keep the tears flowing and your heart open. Read on to find out where to stream these movies like Inside Out 2 in the United Kingdom!
Inside Out
The first Inside Out is the most obvious film to include on this list, and it’s also the best if you want to spend more time with these emotional characters. Inside Out explores the internal world of a young girl named Riley after her family relocates and she has to adapt to a new school, new friends, new home, new everything. Here we first meet her predominant emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and we accompany Riley on a fun, scary, and tender adventure of self-discovery.
Soul
If you love Pixar films that ask the existential questions we all wrestle with, you might have a soft spot in your heart for Soul. This film tells the story of a frustrated jazz pianist, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), who, just when he is about to get his big break, has an accident and finds his soul sent to the Great Beyond. As he tries to escape and head back to Earth, he teams up with a cynical soul called 22 and together they find out why life is really worth living. Make sure to bring a whole box of tissues for this one.
Turning Red
Like Inside Out 2, Turning Red focuses a lot on what it means to be emotionally regulated. In this Pixar film, Mei, a 13-year-old Canadian girl from a Chinese immigrant family, attempts to balance her family duties with being a teenage girl who wants to spend time with friends, go to concerts, and fit in at school. Meanwhile, she inherits a shocking family trait and begins to transform into a big red panda bear any time she gets in an emotional state. Learning to embrace and regulate those moments comes with confronting the relationship with her own mother and the other generations of women in the family.
Encanto
Do you know why we don’t talk about Bruno already? This beautiful Disney film explores similar themes to Inside Out 2 like belonging, acceptance, miscommunication, and forgiveness. Encanto follows the story of a family in Colombia who are bestowed with magical powers and live in a sentient house, Casita, whose realm of magic protects the nearby village. But family secrets, suspicions, and lack of acceptance threaten to destroy Casita and take away the family’s powers if they cannot come together to resolve and embrace their differences.
Frozen
If you haven’t been able to stop singing ‘Let It Go’ since 2013, you’re not alone. Frozen was one of the most popular Disney films of the 2010s and shares some key elements with Inside Out 2. While Inside Out 2 is more internally focused than Frozen, both explore girls coming into their power and learning not to be governed by anxiety or fear. Frozen follows the story of sisters Elsa and Anna in the magical kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa has used her powers to keep the kingdom in an eternal winter, and Anna and her friends Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven must find her to break the spell and save the kingdom.
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is in some ways the reverse of Inside Out 2 in that it tells the story of Andy’s sentient possessions, rather than what’s happening in Andy’s own mind. Both stories deal with themes of growing up, which also means outgrowing certain toys or things you used to like. Toy Story 3 follows the story of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the others as they go on an adventure back to Andy’s house after Andy’s mum accidentally donates a bag full of toys Andy meant to keep.
Up
Who wasn’t bawling by the end of the intro to Up? Up is one of those Pixar defining films that solidified the studio’s reputation as one that can pack an emotional punch while cradling you at the same time. Like Inside Out 2, Up simplifies complicated emotions around dealing with life’s obstacles and choosing what is truly important as a guide. Up follows the story of Carl, a pensioner who attempts to fulfil his and his late wife’s dream of seeing Paradise Falls by attaching so many balloons to his house that it can fly. Unbeknownst to Carl, a young stowaway, Russell, is on board the house, and the two are blown off course to a wild adventure in South America.
Coco
In a heartfelt Disney tale, Coco tackles difficult themes of life and death in a lighthearted way that’s suitable for all ages. Similarly to Inside Out 2, Coco embraces the theme of balancing belonging with following your dreams. Coco follows the story of Miguel, a young boy who secretly learns to play the guitar despite his family’s misguided ban on music.
Elemental
In another Pixar release, Elemental exists in a world of personified elements. These elements, fire, water, air, and earth, live mostly separately from each other, but when Wade (a water element) and Ember (a fire element) meet and sparks fly (so to speak), they start to question whether or not two seeming opposites can actually be compatible. Elemental shares similarities with Inside Out 2 in that the elements, just like the emotions, must realise they both need and appreciate each other.
Zootopia
In another Disney tale about belonging, staying true to yourself, and keeping an open, determined mind, Zootopia tells the story of Judy Hopps, a rabbit detective who teams up with a sly con artist fox Nick Wilde as they attempt to solve the mystery of a bunch of predators who have gone missing. Similarly to Inside Out 2, the protagonists must find a way of supporting themselves through tricky situations that put their belonging in jeopardy in order to stay true to themselves.
Where to watch movies like Inside Out 2 online
Check out the full list of movies like Inside Out 2 below to find out how (and where) you can stream them across platforms like Disney+, Sky, Apple TV, and more.
