Inside Out

Lore & Background

Inside Riley's mind, five emotions manage her experiences by processing them into colored memory orbs stored in long-term memory. The most significant events form 'core memories' that power five floating personality islands representing her identity, such as Hockey Island and Family Island. Joy acts as the leader, attempting to limit Sadness's influence, while Anger, Fear, and Disgust handle specific threats or fairness issues. When Riley moves, a chaotic struggle between Joy and Sadness knocks core memories loose, disabling the islands and sucking them into the vast long-term memory area alongside Bing Bong, Riley's imaginary friend who is a pink cat/elephant/cotton candy hybrid.

In Their Own Story

After Sadness retroactively saddens joyous memories on Riley's first day at school, Joy tries to dispose of the resulting sad core memory but accidentally knocks loose others, disabling the personality islands. Joy and Sadness are sucked out of Headquarters into long-term memory, where they meet Bing Bong. They attempt to ride the 'train of thought' back to Headquarters but get sidetracked by Abstract Thought and Imagination Land. While Anger, Fear, and Disgust push Riley away from her parents, causing Goofball, Friendship, and Hockey Islands to collapse into the Memory Dump, Joy and Sadness navigate Dream Productions and the Subconscious. Joy eventually discovers a sad ice hockey memory that turns happy when comforted by others, realizing Sadness's purpose is to alert others to emotional overwhelm. After Bing Bong sacrifices himself in a rocket wagon escape from the Memory Dump, Joy returns to Headquarters.

Reader's Guide

Riley moves from Minnesota to San Francisco for her father Bill's new job, disrupting her mind's balance. Joy tries to maintain happiness while Sadness inadvertently creates Riley's first sad core memory. When Joy and Sadness are lost in long-term memory, Anger inserts an idea bulb making Riley run away to Minnesota, causing Honesty Island to collapse after she steals a credit card. The train derails as Family Island nears total collapse. Back at Headquarters, Joy hands control to Sadness, who removes the idea bulb. Riley rushes home and confesses her sadness to her parents, who comfort her. This creates a new mixed-emotion core memory, restoring stability and forming a new Family Island. One year later, 12-year-old Riley has adapted, with emotions admiring ten new personality islands powered by multicolored memories, though they note a red alarm light marked 'PUBERTY'.

Did You Know?

• Development took five-and-a-half years on a budget of approximately $175 million.
• The film grossed $859.1 million worldwide, finishing as the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2015.
• About 27 emotions were considered for early versions before being reduced to five for simplicity.
• Director Pete Docter conceived the idea in October 2009 after observing his daughter Elie become 'more quiet and reserved'.
• The sequel, Inside Out 2, was released in 2024.