Melbourne

This is the first time I've watched it post lockdown and I was honestly ugly crying at the point when Joy realises Sadness needed to take over. I mean i cry at that point every time anyway (also when Sadness sits next to Bing Bong and just listens). But this time it hit so much harder after the huge events of past years: the loss of friends, the irreversible life changes, isolation, the realisation that some joyful parts of the past are truly over and can't drive us any more, and have to be let go to move on to new joy, the sadness taking over happy memories, the rebuilding of new networks by letting emotions blend, and of course one of the big morals of the story - don't keep trying to push through and be happy all the time, embrace the difficult feelings or everything starts breaking down. Deny sadness and you get locked out of your brain with depression.

This film has meant so much to me over the years because I've always been Sadness - Negative Nelly, Debbie Downer, the character in the film to a tee - and both hated and defended that fact fiercely growing up. This was honestly the first film that gave me the permission to embrace it and be proud of it - especially the mum having Sadness running the show with empathy, it was the first time I truly understood who I could become rather than forcing myself to be someone else.

I can't get over how the creators weaved these personal experiences we've all had and actual psychological concepts into such vivid, coherent, playful imagery that doesn't just track as a very entertaining kid's adventure film but also as an incredibly creative and powerful metaphoric film for all ages. I could watch it every year til I die, honestly.