Inside Out

Inside Out (2015) was sold as a children's film. Its actual subject is something most adults struggle to discuss: what sadness is for. Eleven year old Riley moves to a new city. Inside her head five emotions run a control desk and Joy is in charge. When Joy and Sadness are knocked out of headquarters, Riley is left unable to feel much of anything while the two of them try to get back. The argument of the film is that Sadness is not a malfunction. A child who cannot show that they are hurting cannot be helped. Pixar puts that inside a kids' film without ever turning it into a lesson. The Bing Bong sequence is regarded as one of the most devastating scenes in any animated film, and that reputation is earned. The production worked with psychologists, and even the choice of five emotions comes from an existing scientific model. It runs 95 minutes. There is a sequel. Good for: watching with a child while remaining a real film for the adult. Especially useful with a child who finds it hard to name what they feel. Less good for: parts of it are genuinely sad for a young viewer. Be ready to talk afterwards.