Loved Inside Out 2? Here Are 5 More Perfect Animated Movies for a Fun Family Watch

There’s no doubt that sometimes animated movies manage to capture so much more in their stories than regular ones. Through bright and colorful animated characters, the movie creators usually tell meaningful stories about love, friendship, family values, feelings, and grief.

Somehow these stories manage to reach the deepest strings of the soul, waking up emotions we didn’t know even existed. Recently released Inside Out 2, the second part of one of Pixar's most emotional stories, is exactly a movie that managed to do so – quite literally, in fact.

And if you already rewatched the first part before going to the cinema to watch the new one, but still feel the need to prolong the feeling you got while watching them both, here are 5 more movies for a perfect evening with your family.

1. Up (2009)

There was no way we could have started with anything but this heartfelt film from Pete Docter. The story at the center of the movie is truly heartbreaking, but it also focuses on the idea that it's possible to find a way to live again after losing someone who meant everything to you.

We follow the story of Carl and Ellie from their childhood, see them fall in love in their teens, live their lives, and become an old couple. When Ellie dies, Carl decides to fulfill her old wish by taking their house on the cliff. But a young explorer named Russell changes his plans, and the two find themselves on an adventure that will reveal the many layers of their personalities.

2. Coco (2017)

Another movie that deals with different aspects of family life and values is Coco. The movie follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is determined to find out the truth about his father and why music was abandoned in their household.

He travels into the world of the dead to uncover the secrets his family has kept from him, and finally finds answers to questions that have been hanging there for so many years.

What makes it a great movie to watch after Inside Out 2 is that it shows Miguel as a very passionate young man with a strong desire to keep his family together, which only reinforces the idea that kids do care about this stuff.

3. Turning Red (2022)

Another perfect example of the movie focusing on kid’s thoughts and feelings, which shows how struggling life can be for youngsters when they don’t feel understood and supported. At the center of the story is a young girl Mei, who loves her family and would do everything to make them happy, often hiding her true self and sacrificing her own desires.

However, everything goes wrong when she discovers she can turn into a giant fluffy creature when she feels nervous or angry. And from that moment starts her journey to find a way to live in peace with the two versions of herself and really embrace them. Spoiler: it gets easier when she realizes she is not alone in this.

4. Wish Dragon (2021)

Sometimes love can be a source of power for great achievements. But sometimes it can give you wrong guidance in life. The story in Wish Dragon focuses on a young man named Din, who made it his life mission to try to reunite with his childhood best friend Li Na. The girl moves far away and now lives a wealthy life, and Din is still stuck in the working class, only dreaming to see Li Na once again.

One day though he becomes an owner of a magic teapot, which contains Long, a wish dragon. Din has three wishes, and after Long fulfills all of them, he can be free to enter the spirit world. But the story takes a darker turn when they realize someone else wants the teapot…

5. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

What’s a better way to end the list than reminding you all about this legendary animated movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki? The story revolves around sisters Satsuki and Mei and how they end up in a world of fantasy, where everything is so much better than in reality, where they have to deal with their mother's illness.

They befriend several spirits who teach them about the beauty of the world. The story once again emphasizes the importance of friendship, love, family, and how vital it is to appreciate nature.