Review: Soul

Unsurprisingly, Pixar have done it again. Made a film that is so emotional and thoughtful that it will have adults sobbing, all while keeping their children mesmerised by the beautiful animation. Up explored themes of grief and loss; Inside Out looked at how emotions and memories shape us. Now Soul asks not just what happens after we die, but where our personalities come from and what the meaning of life is. It is as deeply thoughtful as it sounds, and will definitely have you thinking about the things in life you hold most dear. 

Joe (Jamie Foxx), a jazz musician and school band teacher, falls down a manhole on his way to his dream gig. He panics, thinking that it is not his time to die and that he hasn't fulfilled his purpose, and escapes death by going to the Great Before. It is the place where young souls are given personalities and find their 'spark' before being born into the world as people. While there, Joe meets 22 (Tina Fey). A soul who's been stuck in the Great Before, unwilling to go to Earth, they decide to help Joe get back to his body.

Joe is an immensely talented jazz pianist and his whole life revolves around music. As such, the score for this film is incredible. But while the main character's existence may revolve around his passions, the film questions why we often mistake the things that we love with being our purpose. It points out that when our only understanding of success is a career doing what we love, we often feel like failures when this doesn't go to plan. In our singlemindedness, it is easy to overlook the small things that bring joy to our lives, like the beauty of our surroundings or time with loved ones. The film is incredibly hard-hitting, and will make you reconsider your priorities. 

Despite Soul taking place partly in the colourful and cutesy Great Before, it's real-world New York City that is the most visually interesting. Despite it being a bustling, sometimes-stressful urban space, the way that it's animated makes it comes across as lively and vibrant. The colours and textures are wonderful to look at. In terms of the textures especially, this might be the closest Pixar have come to making their animation look realistic. 

Having a film set in the land of the living and the Great Before allows for some great variety in the style of animation, and the filmmakers made excellent use of the opportunity. The realistic style of New York is offset by the breezy pastel hues of the Great Before and the adorable, rounded design of the souls that are formed there. The beings that give the souls their personalities are also visually very different to everything else, being two-dimensional and drawn in crisp, neon lines. The variety of animation styles used throughout the film makes this a very creative addition to Pixar's filmography. 

Soul is a fun and thoughtful tale about the meaning of life and appreciating the life you're living. People of all ages will surely enjoy this great family adventure. 

Soul is available to stream now on Disney+