Over the last 9 years, Pixar has struggled to nail its once-successful story formula. Starting with 1995’s Toy Story, Pixar Animation Studios’ first feature-length outing, the filmmakers have consistently struck gold with the “What if X had feelings?” formula. In 2015, the tried-and-true recipe resulted in one of Pixar’s best movies — the Academy Award-winning Inside Out. Directed by Pixar vet Pete Docter, Inside Out is a somewhat meta culmination of the studios’ efforts in that it personifies a young girl’s emotions, essentially asking, “What if emotions had feelings?”

Set in the mind of a preteen named Riley, Inside Out‘s core cast of characters are Riley’s basic emotions — de facto leader Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black). As Joy works to mitigate Sadness’ influence, an unexpected journey through Riley’s mind pushes Joy to understand that it’s okay to be sad sometimes. Inside Out garnered $858.8 million at the global box office, making it one of Pixar’s highest-grossing films. However, a 2024 DreamWorks movie carries on Pixar’s post-Inside Out legacy better than any other animated film.

DreamWorks’ Orion And The Dark Nails The Classic Pixar Formula

Orion’s Personified Nighttime Entities Are As Memorable As Inside Out’s Emotions

Produced by DreamWorks Animation and animated by Mikros Animation, Orion and the Dark centers on an 11-year-old boy with an extensive list of irrational fears. Penned by Charlie Kaufman, the mastermind behind searing films like Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Orion and the Dark is an incredibly ambitious film. Much like Inside Out, the DreamWorks project isn’t afraid to tackle difficult moments or existential concepts, taking the “What if X had feelings?” concept to new heights. Although Orion and the Dark doesn’t personify a child’s emotions, it tackles something similar.

One night, a blackout strikes, leaving a fearful Orion (Jacob Tremblay) in total darkness. Soon enough, Orion is greeted by the personification of his worst fear: Dark (Paul Walter Hauser). Annoyed with Orion’s complaints about nighttime, Dark decides to take the terrified kid on an eye-opening trip. On the journey, Dark introduces Orion and the Dark‘s other characters — his fellow nighttime entities Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Insomnia (Nat Faxon), Quiet (Aparna Nancherla), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), and Sweet Dreams (Angela Basset). Although the other entities are reluctant about having a visitor, Dark convinces them to let Orion tag along.

Why Pixar’s Formula Hasn’t Worked Since Inside Out

Pixar’s More Recent Movies Have Strayed From Its Signature Approach

In the wake of Inside Out, the studio released a rash of Pixar sequels less-than-stellar originals, like The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory, and Cars 3. While the Finding Nemo and Cars sequels still hold some charm, especially where characters and world-building are concerned, Pixar didn’t totally justify the films’ existences. Instead, Finding Dory and Cars 3 rehashed familiar concepts without bringing anything fresh to the table. After that, Pixar shifted its focus to human character-led films, like Coco, Incredibles 2, Luca, and Turning Red. Of course, films like Soul and Toy Story 4 are exceptions.

In some ways, Toy Story 4 falls more into the Finding Dory/Cars 3 camp: It’s fun to see the Toy Story franchise’s characters again, but Pixar’s decision to revisit the property seemed a little more financially-motivated. Soul, on the other hand, tried to replicate Inside Out‘s success. Helmed again by Docter, Soul sees jazz musician Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) exploring The Great Before — a realm where newly born souls receive all the quirks and personality traits to make their humans into unique individuals. Unlike Inside Out, Soul‘s concept was too nebulous and opaque to resonate with audiences.

Orion And The Dark Sets A High Critical Bar For Inside Out 2

The Inside Out Sequel Must Justify Its Existence By Balancing The Familiar & The Fresh

Ahead of its release, Inside Out 2‘s Rotten Tomatoes score was high, and the film’s success continued over its opening weekend. Still, that success is impressive given how high of a bar Inside Out set — and how much Orion and the Dark raised that bar just a few months ahead of Inside Out 2‘s release. As Orion and the Dark‘s ending shows, a well-executed film about abstract, challenging concepts can be both accessible and deeply moving. That said, Inside Out 2‘s choice to introduce new emotions, like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), proves that Pixar can rekindle its signature story formula.