Inner Workings

Inner Workings is a short animated film about Paul, an office worker in 1980s California whose own organs run his day. His brain, a cautious planner, keeps him on a rigid schedule, while his heart pushes him toward spontaneity and fun. As Paul goes through a routine workday, the two argue over how he should live it, and the other organs join the debate. The film was released in November 2016 and runs about seven minutes.

It was directed and written by Leo Matsuda and produced by Sean Lurie, with Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios behind it. Tucker Gilmore voices Paul, the Surfer Dude and a radio host, and Raymond S. Persi voices the Stomach and the Monk. Because it is so short, the cast is small and the story is carried by the contrast between Paul's cautious brain and his restless heart, which together show how easily everyday routine can crowd out the urge to break free.

The film drew a positive response. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.7 from roughly 5,900 votes, and on TMDB it sits at 7.8 from about 311 votes, a narrow gap that suggests audiences of both sites judged it similarly. Its place in Disney's output rests on the studio's tradition of short films that pair simple, expressive animation with a light comic idea, and this one applies that approach to the tug-of-war inside a single person.