Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. Frederick Gallagher 10.14.16 / 3pm

   Perhaps one of the best films of 2015, Inside Out is highly creative, bringing to life a humorous and touching rendition of what transpires in the mind of a young teenager Riley through characters of personality Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness. Each controls Riley through a videogame-esque controller activating different responses in reaction to events throughout the film. This is as much a film for kids as it is for adults with many of its themes exploring the difficulties of adolescences through moving away to a new city, losing friends, awkwardly standing out in a new school, and parents having their own traumas with each other due to career changes.
2. Cecilia 10.14.16 / 10pm

   I have seen this film, and this review is spot on! I watched it with my daughters and I can say that it definitely helped them understand they way they feel and think. This movie has thought them to speak about the way they are feeling. I can say as an adult watching this film it touched so many areas of feeling and though. It reminds us that the actions we do also effects are children in many ways and this movie explained it perfectly! This movie was well plotted for children and adults to indulge together.
3. capadilla3 10.14.16 / 11pm

   Inside Out was by far one of the greatest animations I have ever seen. I completely agree with you that the writing and imagination that went into the film far exceeded expectations. The film not only allowed entertainment for young children but it also taught them to connect with various emotions and brain functions. The film allowed education in a fun way, which was genius! The time it must have took to create such a beautiful and unique film is astonishing. It has been awhile since we have seen an original story line and not just a recreation or sequel. Pixar knocked it out of the park with this one.
4. Spenser Sayre 10.15.16 / 11am

   I was extremely impressed by Inside Out. From the film’s vivid animation to its multiple underlying messages, this story can be enjoyed by audiences of any age. The film portrays a unique description of how the brain works, and how personal values can help someone overcome obstacles in life. I also found it to be very insightful on how emotions work together in almost every aspect of daily life. Inside Out in my opinion is one of Pixar’s best films, and shows how the company has been able to consistently adjust with technology to produce widely successful pictures.
5. darianrrubow 10.18.16 / 1pm

   After seeing this film in theaters I thought about the whole concept of little people controlling your every move and thoughts for a couple days. It amazes me that some people have the creativity to come up with such a different but so interesting plot. When I saw this I was babysitting, but I also told all my friends to go and check it out because honestly this movie was very interesting and good to me.
6. Madisson Gouveia 10.23.16 / 10pm

   I LOVED this movie as well! All the characters were great and the overall composition was amazing! I like that this movie is dealing with a real life scenario that is relatable for children as well as adults. Although this is intended to be a children’s movie, I think that a person of any age would enjoy it. This concept was really something different than anything I’d seen and I really liked how the different feelings all worked and lived together to make up Riley’s personality. It was nice to see how pixar come out with yet another heart warming and creative film.
7. Arica Fox 10.30.16 / 12pm

   I chose to read the review for this because it is one of my favorite animated films. Lindgren’s review describes the film as “a film made for children that makes every human think twice”. I think this is the perfect way to describe it because it explains how human beings process and think by going inside the mind of a child, exploring all her emotions through characters. Although this review has some grammatical errors, I think that it is well written in that it does not give too much away, but just enough. The review introduces us to the characters and gives the audience the overall premise of the film.
8. Lili Talkin 11.13.16 / 10pm

   I also really enjoyed this film, great review!! I went to see it with my little sister but ended up loving the film. I agree with what you said, the message in this film is deep. I thought it was so creative having all the different feelings inside a person’s mind be the characters. Feelings can really dictate how a person acts and I thought this film portrayed the importance of this. Emotions are a daily part of life and it is really important to be able to control them. So i thought this was an amazing way to show that through a children’s film. Overall it was just a great feel good film.
9. Christina 02.02.17 / 10am

   I also found this film very enjoyable as well. I was surprised at the complex themes that Pixar chose for this animated children’s movie. While I do feel like it gave a glimpse into the complicated workings of the human brain, I felt that even more, it attempted to draw importance to emotions. We all know that it is OK to be happy, but emotions like anger, irritation, and sadness, though also important, are not as socially acceptable. However, they are a part of a healthy human psyche. With likable, funny characters, children are introduced to this concept. Despite such heavy material, it remained lighthearted, for the most part, and moved at a pace that kept my children interested and engaged from beginning to end.
10. jasmineowens 03.09.17 / 4am

    I watched this film when it was out in theaters, and I took my two younger cousins with me. They enjoyed it and I have to say that I did as well. The narrative of the film was incredibly relatable I thought not only to children, but to adults. It showed not only what the child went through as a result of such a long distance move, but how the parents were dealing with it as well. I especially enjoyed it because I could specifically relate since I made a cross country move when I was in the middle of elementary school. I thought the mise en scene of the film was an incredible concept. Personifying emotions in order to explain how the brain works, as well as emphasizing that emotions are important and no one emotion is better than the other was a great subject to touch upon in a film meant for children.
11. cmtalhami 03.10.17 / 9pm

    Inside Out, I thought, was phenomenal! It put such a great spin on the psychological processes of maturing people, in particular a young girl named Riley. The emotions: Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness each take part in Riley, and create different responses in reaction to situations in the film. By doing this, they are representative of how the brain works under the different emotions. Inside Out is not only humorous but informative of the brain. It was enjoyable to watch while simultaneously learning about how my brain works. It was fantastic. Might have even turned my brain “Inside Out”.
12. tlighton 06.03.17 / 2pm

    I thought this was a great movie that everyone can enjoy. It was funny, creative, and especially heartbreaking. It tells the story of the pains that growing up brings, and the inevitable pain in life. But it manages to retain an optimistic tone. After all, it is still a kid’s movie. The great aspect of Inside Out was that of course, everyone can relate to it, because the character are our basic emotions, and wants. The film beautifully portrayed how our adult lives tend to betray out childhood sense of wonder and innocence. And, as all great children movies do, implore the audience to once again regain the wonder within them.
13. Brian Richardson 08.04.17 / 7pm

    Disney’s Inside Out takes us into the process of thoughts and emotions and presents some real questions. Such as, can memories actually be erased from our minds by experiencing pain or sadness? Can the emotions tied to experiences change through the course of time? Do parts of our personalities disappear as we get older? If you want to know the answer to these questions, I encourage you to watch the film Inside Out. It is a wonderfully helpful film for educating children on the changes they may face with their feelings and memories.
14. Jaiden Feldman 03.16.18 / 6pm

    I agree that the movie Inside Out is a remarkable film that is enjoyable for adults and children. I also agree that this movie does a great job with it’s writing. Not only does the film do an excellent job creating an interesting story from start to finish but the writers are also able to make feelings become complex, three dimensional characters that viewers can’t help but relate and care about. The message that the gift of wonder and imagination should not be thrown away when you turn 18, is one that every person, adult and child need to learn.
15. Lauren King 10.03.18 / 8pm

    I love this film! I agree that this is a film for all ages. I watched it with my parents, and 17 year old sister, and we all had such a good time watching it. Pixar is fantastic at using its animations to make us feel really strong emotions, and this film was no different.I moved to California when I was about the same age as Riley in the film and it brought back a lot of memories for me and my family. I think the best part of the film for me was Sadness (Phyllis Smith). She had some really creative and funny lines, and I agree that the writers deserve more credit.
16. Raul Perez 10.18.19 / 5pm

    I have to say, your review on the film is absolutely spot on. The way the film captures the way how we think with our emotions is neatly done in this film. It isn’t just a kids film, as you said, it’s a film for anyone to watch. The writing as well as you pointed out deserves much more applause, it’s well written and overall a great piece of film to watch.
17. Connor Peters 10.15.21 / 9pm

    Hi Jonathan!

    This review was amazingly written and so many points in which I think a lot of viewers can agree on. I have always loved how this movie made you think twice, just like you mentioned. This really helped us as the audience get a deeper understanding of the movie rather than what we see on screen. This was very well written as the structure and themes of the movie were definitely well thought out and developed.
18. Connor Peters 10.15.21 / 10pm

    Hi Jonathan!

    This review was very good and all the points you made I think everyone can agree on. As you said, it makes every human think twice. I think that this idea that you pointed out is very important to the movies structure and theme as this was something that every one thinks about when watching this for the first time or tenth time. This really helped the audience get a deeper understanding of the movie ratherthan what we just see on screen.
19. Anthony Garcia 03.04.23 / 8pm

    I too believe that the writing in this film is amazing. The sole concept of having different emotions existing in our mind sounds like a shower thought. But I think that for this reason, the film is so intriguing and enjoyable. Because obviously we do not have little people in our minds controlling our behaviors in real life, but being able to enter a world where that concept is a reality is what makes this film so enjoyable. As the film is about emotions, the plot of the film brings out all the emotions within the film in real life. In one scene the viewer could be laughing, and in the next, they are crying sad tears. Overall, this is an iconic film, which will be remembered as one of Pixar’s greats for the rest of time.
20. Valeria Bellodas 06.18.24 / 12am

    I watched Inside out 2 this past weekend and I definitely agree that Pixar has created something incredible that is able to touch people of all ages just as the first Inside out film did. I think many people can agree that this film is enjoyable because of the way the viewers’ expectations are constantly fulfilled because we all can relate somehow or predict the outcomes of many of the situations Riley is put in. The things that make Riley upset makes the audience chuckle because we’ve all been there! This film is a fan favorite because there’s no dark or complex implicit meaning but rather a simple, humorous, and creative breakdown of something as complex as the human brain/emotions.
21. Hannah Medcalfe 09.23.24 / 10am

    Hi Jonathan, I thought your analysis of Inside Out’s creative brilliance in portraying emotions as characters, making complex psychological concepts accessible for kids. I think many people can agree the exploration of Rileys internal struggles during her move is well articulated, mostly how Joy and Sadness evolve over time. After just watching Inside Out 2, Pixar still did an amazing job introducing new emotions that deepened this exploration. The sequel deals with Rileys teenage years, adding complexity to her emotions and the dynamics by including anxiety. Inside Out 1 and 2 are great films for all ages because of their simple but well thoughtout portrayal of human emotions.
22. Nayelli Mireles 10.06.24 / 11pm

    Jonathan, your review this film is so great. I totally agree that what is covered in this film and the evolution of Riley is so well done in this film. I can’t believe it covers so many things and only 95 minutes. The use of vibrant colors that are so appropriately matched to represent all the different feelings, we all experience was just perfect. I also really appreciate the mannerisms, each different feelings constantly portrayed, making each character representing each feeling so much more entertaining. This was such a great film in so many different ways and the amount of topics and experiences that were covered in this film in such a short amount of time was just so well executed.
23. Kate Ceralde 10.18.24 / 7pm

    I liked your analysis of the film, Inside Out. I like that you pointed out that is a 95 minute children’s film because it makes it that more impressive that this movie runs deep with so much meaning. The representation of emotions were spot on considering the colors, voices, and body language involved making the audience feel related to and represented. It was a very well done film that is able to touch people of all ages.

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