It is not often that a movie comes along with the power to completely pull you out of the darkness you may find yourself in, but Soul manages to achieve that and so much more.
No matter your age or what movies you’re usually into, Soul will resonate with you at the deepest level.
“There are speeches within this film that I will take away for the rest of my life, that is how impactful this film is,” Amy Smith wrote for InSession Film.
Released in 2020, Soul is an animated fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.
Pete Docter and Kemp Powers co-directed Soul, which they co-wrote with Mike Jones and produced with Dana Murray.
It stars the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey and Rachel House, to name a few.
The story is about Joe Gardner (Foxx), a virtuoso pianist who ends up being a middle-school music teacher because of the many unfortunate turns his life took, preventing him from shining as bright as he otherwise might have.
After his dream audition, Joe’s life takes an unexpected turn, which allows him to travel to celestial realms of existence. There, Joe meets a soul, 22, whom he will eventually be tasked with mentoring so that she can find her true purpose in life.
Joe and 22 find themselves caught up in a series of adventures across different realms of existence, which ultimately help them both understand something about themselves and the true meaning of existence in the most unexpected yet beautiful way.
The reasons why you should (re)watch Soul are too numerous to list, but I will give you a few:
Soul is guaranteed to lift you up. The story takes unexpected yet beautiful turns, and the visuals are otherwordly — seeing Joe get in “his zone” and hearing him play the piano are simply divine.
Soul will move you in ways you won’t expect. It will ultimately make you re-evaluate your beliefs about life and what exists beyond.
“A classic Pixar feature, the trademark emotionally powerful third act; a heartwarming, sweet, tear-inducing score; and a relatable, profound, well-explored story about our own soul and the meaning of life,” Manuel Sao Bento wrote for MBS Reviews.
You cannot help but get attached to Joe and 22 and root for them on their journey to find themselves. As their lives unfold, you become invested in seeing them succeed.
Soul won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 93rd Academy Awards, seven Annie Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award and two Golden Globes Awards.
If you needed further convincing, Soul was even named one of the 10 best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
You cannot help but enjoy Soul. If you do give it a watch, please send me an email to tell me about it — I’d love to hear from you! Khadija.hadjab@mmg.com.au
Soul has a 95 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and can be found on Disney +.
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