As the majority of 2020 was spent at home, by the end of December, we all certainly felt as though we had seen the entirety of what Netflix and other streaming services had to offer.

On Christmas day, however, Pixar released a film that has adults and children alike talking. Soul is the heartwarming and equally gut-wrenching story of our souls and where they come from. 

The main character is Joe Gardner, voiced by the talented Jamie Foxx, a middle school music teacher who is waiting for his big break and for his life to begin. When an amazing opportunity does finally arise for him… he dies. Just before he is going to perform with fictional musician Dorothea Williams, Joe finds himself amongst the souls of bodies that have died and who are now headed for the Great Beyond.

The movie follows Joe’s journey to get back to Earth, as he has barely lived and isn’t ready to die yet. He first ventures to the Great Before, where he encounters the souls who haven’t lived yet and require a mentor to assist them in completing their Earth badge. Once completed, they can go to Earth and live. 

Joe is tasked with assisting Soul #22, voiced by Tina Fey, a stubborn being who hasn’t been able to complete her badge for centuries and centuries as she has been unable to find her “spark.”

Soul marks Pixar’s first film featuring an African American protagonist. It was very important for the makers of this movie to create characters with features that were not resemblant of those designed by historically racist animators. 

Lighting also played a huge role in the making of Soul, as the souls were not meant to look like ghosts. They don’t have defining features as they merely represent the souls that would soon enter human bodies. In addition, the concept of the Great Before and the Great Beyond were used as to not have any connection to a specific religion or theory of before/afterlife. 

Musical instruments and performers were studied and analyzed in order to align the playing of the instruments with the overlaying audio. In other words, the piano keys being hit or the movements of the trombone are very intentional and precise.

Soul currently has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes review and critics are raving about it. It emphasizes the importance of seizing the day and not waiting for your life to begin, but rather to start it yourself and do what makes you happy. It’s currently streaming for free on Disney+ with a subscription to the platform.