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Inside Out

Inside Out

Meet the little voices inside your head.

201595 minPGMidcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Directors
Ronnie Del Carmen, Pete Docter
Starring
Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader

When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Inside Out?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Inside Out streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Inside Out?

Inside Out earns 10 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Inside Out worth watching?

Inside Out's Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all films, from 4.4M ratings across 6 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of films

97th percentile among Animation98th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

81 /100

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Animation97th percentile among 2010s

Critics 94 · Audience 80

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

89% liked it

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Animation98th percentile among 2010s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Critics 98% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 49 wins / 51 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Animated
  • WonBAFTA Awards· Best Animated Film

81st percentile

4.4M ratings across platforms

63rd percentile among Animation83rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$175M
Opening weekend$90M
Domestic gross$356M
Worldwide gross$859M

Returned 4.9× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Inside Out is a creatively ambitious, emotionally heavy film about growing up that uses personified emotions inside a girl's head.

Fans praised

  • inventive concept visualizing the inner workings of the mind
  • mature emotional depth validating sadness and depression
  • clever humor balanced with poignant, tear-jerking moments

Detractors panned

  • depressing tone unsuitable for young children
  • derivative concept and formulaic quest plot
  • flat, stereotyped characters and lack of genuine laughs

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive88

tear-jerking moments like Bing Bong's sacrifice and family embrace

OriginalityDivisive85

fresh take on inner world concept, though some call it unoriginal

ActingDivisive85

Poehler's exuberant Joy, Smith's melancholic Sadness, Black's explosive Anger

EndingDivisive82

satisfying resolution where sadness is validated and family reconnects

AtmosphereDivisive82

immersive world-building of Riley's mind

CharactersDivisive80

personified emotions are relatable archetypes, but some find them one-note

Plot and storyDivisive75

simple metaphor-driven quest with predictable structure

HumorDivisive70

witty and character-driven, but detractors find it unfunny

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Inside Out like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Funny and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to laugh and feel something too.

It leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Funny and bittersweet.

Moods
BittersweetJoyfulMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Warm humor
Register
WarmPlayfulTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with a balance of warmth and emotional honesty, treating its fantastical premise with heartfelt sincerity.
The rideThe film balances lighthearted adventure with genuine emotional weight; sadness and joy coexist from start to finish, with the heaviest emotional stretch sustained as Riley's crisis deepens.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act structure as Riley's life changes and her emotions navigate her inner world.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a warm, bittersweet understanding that sadness is essential for growth, and that it's okay to not be happy all the time.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% (this title) · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Portal fantasy: Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).

4% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeJoy and Sadness must journey through Riley's mind to return to Headquarters after being lost during a move, leading to emotional growth and the realization that sadness is essential.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 5% of filmsMemory · 3% of filmsFamily bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeRiley's move triggers an emotional crisis that reshapes her identity; the film explores how memory and family support are essential to growing through change.
StanceThe film celebrates emotional complexity and coming-of-age, affirming that sadness is a necessary part of a full life, and does so with an ensemble of emotions as protagonists.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticAlternate dimensionStylized realism
Orchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · original score · Michael Giacchino
SettingRiley's mind (Headquarters, Long-Term Memory, Imagination Land) and her family's new home in San Francisco
MusicGiacchino's score blends whimsical orchestral themes with a jazzy, improvisational feel that mirrors the unpredictability of emotions.

Content guide

Is Inside Out okay for kids?

PG

Inside Out is rated PG: “Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some action” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (18/100), sexual content at minimal (15/100), language at minimal (10/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (4/100) and frightening material at moderate (36/100). Overall it is heavier than 13% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 33 other countries
  • UKU
  • CanadaG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany0
  • FranceTP
  • IrelandPG
  • New ZealandG
  • JapanG
  • South KoreaALL
  • BrazilL
  • ArgentinaATP
  • Austria12
  • Belgium12
  • BGB
  • CLTE
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark7
  • FinlandK-7
  • GreeceK
  • Hong KongI
  • IDSU
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoAA
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Norway6
  • PolandAL
  • PortugalM/6
  • ROAP
  • Russia6+
  • SpainA
  • Sweden7
  • Taiwan0+
  • TürkiyeGenel İzleyici Kitlesi
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 4% of all filmsHeavier than 13% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 17%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 28%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 16%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 45%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 45% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Inside Out have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in Inside Out: Animal cruelty (mild), Gore or body horror (mild). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

MildAnimal crueltyGore or body horror

Cast and crew

Who is in Inside Out?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Amy Poehler
as Joy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Phyllis Smith
as Sadness
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Richard Kind
as Bing Bong
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Bill Hader
as Fear
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lewis Black
as Anger
Mindy Kaling
as Disgust
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Kaitlyn Dias
as Riley
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Diane Lane
as Mom
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kyle MacLachlan
as Dad
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Paula Poundstone
as Forgetter Paula
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Inside Out?

Movies like Inside Out include Inside Out 2 (2024), Onward (2020) and The Good Dinosaur (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Meg LeFauve, and several are films set in another dimension.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: coming of age. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Inside Out?

9K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: unlikely alliance. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.