“Soul” is Pixar’s best film about death because it doesn’t talk about death. It talks about life instead, and about the work of being alive.
The movie follows Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher in New York City who has spent his entire career chasing a jazz gig he can’t quite land. When he finally gets the call for the dream job, he falls through a manhole and ends up in the Great Before, a liminal space where souls are given their personalities before they are born. There he meets 22, a soul who has lived thousands of years and refused to be assigned to a human body because she believes she has nothing left to learn.
The film’s central idea is that everyone is searching for meaning, and that meaning is often found in the smallest, most overlooked moments. Joe wants the big stage, but the movie suggests that the real music is in the everyday. This is a familiar Pixar theme, but the execution here is sharper and more specific than usual. The animation is gorgeous, and the New York setting feels lived-in, from the busy streets to the empty subway car where Joe rides after his fall.
Trailer, via Pixar.
The Great Before
The Great Before is the film’s most imaginative stretch. It is a vast, colorful city where souls are sorted, trained, and eventually pushed toward the Earth. The rules of this world are simple: souls are given a spark of personality, and they must find that spark in order to be sent down. 22 has never found hers, which is why she has stayed behind.
The humor here is gentle and warm, mostly built around the contrast between Joe’s desperation and 22’s boredom. She has seen everything, and she finds human life dull. Joe finds her strange and frustrating. The two characters are opposites, and their relationship drives the film’s emotional engine.
The Jazz Club
Joe’s obsession with the jazz club is the film’s emotional anchor. He has spent his life waiting for this moment, and when it finally arrives, he is denied it. The club is a small, intimate space, lit warmly, where the music feels urgent and personal. It is a perfect representation of what Joe has been chasing, and losing it is devastating.
The film does not resolve this conflict in a tidy way. Joe does not get the gig, and he does not get the fame he wanted. Instead, he learns that the value of his life was in the moments he had already lived, not in the ones he was still chasing.
The Animation
The animation is the film’s strongest technical achievement. The character models are expressive and fluid, and the movement is natural and graceful. The scenes in the Great Before are particularly impressive, with crowds of tiny souls moving through neon-lit streets. The lighting is beautiful, and the color palette shifts depending on the emotional tone of each scene.
The film also uses music effectively. The jazz score is warm and inviting, and it carries the emotional weight of the story. The film’s use of sound is subtle but effective, with ambient noise and dialogue that feel organic to the world.
The Message
The film’s message is simple but powerful: you are enough, exactly as you are. This is a message that resonates with audiences of all ages, and it is delivered with a light touch that avoids preaching. The film does not force its message on the viewer; it simply presents a story that makes the point through action and emotion.
The film’s ending is a quiet one, but it is also a hopeful one. It suggests that life is worth living, even when it is difficult, and that the people we love are the reason we keep going.
The Shortcomings
The film is not without flaws. Some of the supporting characters are underdeveloped, and the pacing slows in the middle act. The film also leans on some predictable plot beats, though none of them feel out of place within the larger narrative.
These are minor complaints, however. The film is consistently engaging, and its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.
The Verdict
“Soul” is a thoughtful, moving, and beautifully made film. It is a rare example of a studio animated feature that tackles complex themes with intelligence and grace. It is a film about mortality, but it is not a sad one. It is a film about joy, and about the ways we find it.
The film’s final act is a quiet triumph, and it leaves the viewer with a sense of warmth and possibility. It is a film that rewards repeated viewing, and it is likely to be remembered as one of Pixar’s finest achievements.
Key Facts
- Title: Soul
- Studio: Pixar
- Director: Pete Docter
- Release Year: 2020
- Running Time: 101 minutes
- Critical Score: 8.3/10
