Mild Spoiler alert. “Soul” is a 2020 animated Pixar film written and directed by Pete Docter. He previously directed the Pixar films “Up,” “Inside Out,” and “Monster, Inc.” The film follows a middle school music teacher Joe Gardner, who after his untimely death tries to reunite his soul with his body. The film stars actors Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, and Rachel House. 

I enjoyed this film. The animation in this film, like all Pixar movies, is of course top tier. The cast, especially Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, deliver very heartfelt and energetic performances that bring the characters to life effortlessly. Pixar is known for its willingness to attack adult themes, but this film takes that to another level, tackling deep themes like life, death, and purpose head-on. The willingness of a family movie to tackle serious themes is a great thing. It allows kids to be exposed to complex themes from a young age, while still creating a film that an adult audience can thoroughly enjoy. 

After Joe Gardner dies towards the beginning of the film watching him struggle to do whatever he can to survive and grip onto his life after he finally got an opportunity to do what he loves is very interesting. The journey he goes through seeing all the experiences in his life he missed out on when they were right in front of him the whole time was a very interesting and introspective theme that challenges the audience’s viewpoint on their own life and what they’re missing out on in their everyday lives. 

“Soul” is an overall well-made animated film that challenges its audience, tackles complex themes, and doesn’t use being a family movie as an excuse for lazy filmmaking.

4/5 Stars