By: Maya Hoffman and Skylar Semon
Pixar’s new movie Soul focuses on a jazz pianist whose sudden death leaves him trapped in the afterlife, which leads him to question his life choices. Joe, the pianist, has centered his entire life around his love for music, but he’s beginning to wonder if he’s taken the right path once he’s forced to face eternity.
The movie starts with him sadly teaching a music class when he is offered a gig to perform with a famous jazz artist, Dorothea Williams. Joe auditions for her and is ready to perform, but a sudden accident ruins this opportunity of a lifetime. Joe is later trapped on the walkway to the afterlife, but all he wants to do is get back to earth to play music. Suddenly, he finds an escape hole, the doors of The Great Before. This is marketed as a world where souls go to develop personalities before they are born. While Joe tries to escape back to earth, he meets a friend along the way, Soul 22. The purpose of the movie now shifts from getting Joe back to earth to also helping 22 with their “spark” or character development. The two of them travel back to earth, but Soul 22 winds up in Joe’s body. This creates problems as 22 is very immature and gets distracted from trying to get Joe to his gig on time. Soul 22 also gets distracted when trying to find her spark in the real world. Eventually, Soul 22 finds their “spark,” and Joe gets to perform, despite their conflict and the fact that they are chased by those higher up in the afterlife.
Overall, we would rate this movie a 10/10. “Soul” was entertaining with its classic Pixar style and jokes, while allowing the viewer to take a deeper look at themselves to find their “spark.” We think “Soul” is a movie of reflection while still carrying out the Pixar brand of family-friendly entertainment. Not only did this movie have a great message, but it also captured the amazing sound and mood inspired by classic jazz music. We would recommend this movie to anyone, especially because you can watch it in the comfort of your own home thanks to Disney Plus!
Photo courtesy of Disney Plus.
