10 Movies Like Inside Out 2 You Can Watch Right Now (and Where to Stream Them)
Inside Out 2 is smashing box office records and once again putting Pixar at the top of Hollywood. The sequel to 2015’s Inside Out sees Riley entering her teenage years, which brings about tons of new emotions. Hailed as relatable and emotional, the movie has received glowing reviews.
Stacked with a great voice cast that includes Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Lewis Black, and Kyle McLachlan, Inside Out 2 brings out the powerful emotion and storytelling that made Pixar’s early hits like Toy Story and Finding Nemo so impactful.
If you loved the new film, this list will show you similar titles that can be found on streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.
Just as Inside Out 2 explores the complexities of teenage emotions, Pixar’s Turning Red follows Chinese-Canadian teenager Mei, who is forced to hide her interests and desires from her strict old-school parents. But holding her emotions in all the time ends up having a strange consequence… she turns into a giant red panda. Turning Red received great reviews and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2023 Oscars.
In Soul, a struggling Jazz musician suddenly dies and his soul is sent to the “Great Beyond”, but instead he ends up in the “Great Before”, where souls go before they’re born into human bodies. Just as Inside Out 2 explores the harmony of all emotions, both good and bad, Soul does a great job of exploring the circle of life, death, and everything in between. Soul even won the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2021.
Inside Out 2 shows Riley becoming a teenager, with all the new – and overwhelming – emotions that come with it. 2004’s Mean Girls similarly did a great job at showing what teenage life is like, revealing the catty, cliquey, and alienating aspects of high school – but all through the lens of a great, smart comedy, which has turned the movie into a downright classic.
Just as Riley has grown up in Inside Out 2, Pixar’s Toy Story 3 shows what happens to Andy’s toys now that he’s heading for college. Filled with some surprisingly hard-hitting emotions, Toy Story 3 told a great story, all while exploring what it means to grow up and move on. Not only did Toy Story 3 win the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2011, but it was also nominated for Best Picture.
Just as Riley experiences new emotions as a teenager, so does Ethan in Strange World. Not only is he on a quest to save his father, but he’s also got a crush on another boy. On top of its LGBTQ representation, Strange World was filled with adventure in a thrilling world inspired by classic Jules Verne stories. It also had a great voice cast that included Jake Gyllenhaal, Lucy Liu, and Gabrielle Union.
Inside Out 2 personified emotions like Joy, Fear, and Anger, and Pixar’s 2023 hit Elemental personified the elements, bringing life and personality to fire, water, wind, and more. But beneath the surface, the movie is actually about immigration, discrimination, and diversity. Elemental became a sleeper hit at the box office, ultimately grossing almost $500 million.
Originally released as part of the special features on the Inside Out DVD, Riley’s First Date? is a short film that takes place between the first and second movies. In the short, Riley hangs out with a boy, and her emotions (and parents) freak out. Despite being a short film, it even has a post-credits sequence.
In Onward, two teenage brothers set out to reanimate their dead father. It sounds pretty morbid for a Disney movie, but when you watch it, you’ll realize the film is actually about love, loss, and learning to embrace the life you have, even if it comes with some pain. Just like Inside Out 2, the film packs a hefty emotional punch.
In Inside Out 2, Riley heads to camp where she experiences some new emotions like anxiety and embarrassment as she tries to fit in with her peers. 2003’s Camp is another great movie about a group of teenage misfits at camp who desperately want to fit in, stand out, and make new friends. Making it even funnier is that it’s no ordinary camp, but a theater camp in the Catskills. Camp also served as the breakout role for Anna Kendrick.
Based on the iconic 1998 YA novel of the same name, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows a group of high schoolers who must navigate their teenage years and all the good and bad emotions that come with it. Fans of Inside Out 2 will relate to the way the film depicts being a teenager and all the elevated, joyous, messy emotions that are experienced during that time.
