Gone are the days where Dune: Part Two was the biggest movie of 2024, as it’s been displaced for the current film of the year: Inside Out 2. Inside Out 2 has been making waves in the movie industry, shocking many with how well it’s performed. 

In this Inside Out sequel, Riley is now a 13 year old girl moving from middle school to high school. Because of the changes that come with early teenage years and puberty, Riley’s emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear—wake up to find the brain undergoing major construction, alongside the appearance of some brand-new emotions. The new emotions introduced are Anxiety, Envy, Ennui (boredom), and Embarrassment. Joy, along with the other original emotions, are forced to adjust to these new aspects of Riley’s personality.

With a 90% critic score and 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that Inside Out 2 has found a positive response. But this movie isn’t like other well received films in 2024; it hasn’t just earned strong ratings. It has also set itself apart in box office results and has even broken records. Inside Out 2 has overtaken Dune: Part Two as the biggest opening of the year, as Dune: Part Two made $82 million domestically in its opening, and Inside Out 2 brought in over $150 million. Along with opening weekends, Inside Out 2 has beat out Dune: Part Two’s overall box office earnings as well. While Dune: Part Two collected a respectable $712 million worldwide, Inside Out 2 was the first movie of the year to hit 1 billion for the worldwide box office. 

Also, more than taking top-spot for 2024’s list of film successes, the Inside Out sequel has managed to break records in regards to animated movies as well. Inside Out 2 is the fastest animated film to reach 1 billion in the box office, and it has the best second weekend performance ever for an animated movie as well. All of this has already happened for this film, and it’s still not finished yet, as it will stay in theaters for an impressive 100 days.

But why has this movie done so well? There are a few smaller factors that could have had an influence. First of all, Inside Out 2 is a sequel, so nostalgia could have had an effect on the strong performance. While sequels can be risky—creators have to avoid plot holes, tone shifts, and dips in detail—they also have the advantage of the first movie being familiar to audiences. Inside Out was well-liked when it was released in 2015, so when the follow-up movie was announced, viewers were more likely to feel excited about it.

Another possible reason for the movie’s success is Disney’s decline in quality as-of-late. With Disney’s last animated film being Wish, which received plenty of backlash, the contrast between the two movies is stark. The animation style, soundtrack, storyline, and emotional beats were all arguably better in Inside Out 2, and was likely refreshing to moviegoers.

But the largest factor was likely the obvious care taken with the creation of this film. The visuals and animation were lovely. Each character was uniquely and thoughtfully designed, so that their look matched the emotion they were representing. Also, the imagery of the “Belief System” was gorgeous and atmospheric. Along with the charming animation, the plot was streamlined and simple in a way that strengthened the movie, allowing it to focus on the humor, emotions and characters. Finally, and most likely the largest justification for this film’s huge success, is how largely relatable the movie was to most viewers. The film explored the complexities of growing up and how anxiety can easily overwhelm a person. It provided an honest, realistic, and hopeful view of self-identity and all of the beautiful and difficult parts of maturing.