A sequel to one of Pixar’s best films gives us all the right feels this week, as does David E. Kelley’s definitive version of a Scott Turow bestseller. They top our lists of what to see and watch this week, along with a strange yet beautiful drama about death, a killer killer shark thriller and a bracing directorial debut from actor and screenwriter Jake Allyn.
Here’s our roundup. Sequels often get too amped, too determined to rival anything and everything the first film accomplished and then some. Not so “Inside Out 2,” Pixar’s subtle and brilliant follow-up to the 2015 animated classic about a sweet, smart girl named Riley who had a heckuva time adjusting to a new life in San Francisco and the emotions that kept cropping up inside of her.
Pete Docter’s original film struck an emotional chord with many viewers, but Kelsey Mann’s follow-up is even more special — bestowing a profound, comforting message to generations that it really is OK to embrace feeling anxious, happy, sad, joyful, even bored and to also be far, far, far from perfect. It’s a realistic, nuanced message rarely presented in a family-friendly way and without wielding a heavy hand. The film is often hilarious (especially a visit to a vault of secrets) but with sophistication — reflected in the writing, the animation, the voice cast and the direction.
In “Inside Out 2,” a now-13-year-old Riley leaps into the hot mess of teendom. Her body’s changing and she’s smelly, and — even wor.