Back in 2015, Pixar gave us a film that managed to capture the human experience. In Inside Out, we took a peek inside the control room of the young Riley’s mind.
There, various emotions worked together (or fought against each other), controlling her reactions to things around her in the real world. For young audiences, the film was groundbreaking, teaching them that, yes, sadness and joy could and actually should co-exist. We thought nothing could be more relatable.
However, it turns out there is a version of Inside Out that will resonate even more with an older audience. In Inside Out 2, which got its first teaser trailer today, it seems that Riley’s control room is going through some upheaval. It is, we must assume, puberty. Riley is growing up. And with age come a few new, more complex emotions. And one of them promises to be, quite literally, the most relatable thing ever.
May we introduce you to Anxiety, voiced by none other than Maya Hawke.
Pixar
In the new trailer, anxiety arrives in the control room looking more than a little dishevelled. Her hair stands up in a tuft on top of her head. She carries a lot of baggage (yes, pun intended). Her giant eyes dart around the room, well, very, very anxiously.
Somehow, Pixar has managed to personify the feeling of anxiety — and it could not be more relatable.
Plus, Hawke’s million-miles-a-minute performance promises to be completely iconic. “Oh, I’m SORRY,” she says hurriedly in the short clip. Pure panic. Honestly, been there.
Upon seeing Anxiety arrive, the other original emotions look utterly terrified and I’m not surprised. After all, anxiety can be all-consuming.
After all, young people today are more anxious than ever. We have a lot to worry about — the cost of living, the climate crisis, the political landscape. And added to everything else, the age of social media has significantly contributed to anxiety, too.