Pixar took the movie world by storm with its new animated movie targeted towards teens and young adults. “Soul” tackles large subjects such as the meaning of life and finding one’s purpose and passion. This movie was only released on Disney+, yet millions have seen it, and responses on social media have been overwhelmingly positive. After asking some Prep students what they thought of the movie, hopefully one can decide whether this movie is worth the watch.

“Soul” follows the story of a jazz musician and teacher, Joe Gardner, who is certain that playing the piano is his purpose in life, and all he wants is to play in a jazz band for a living. On the day he finally gets his shot, he falls through an open hole and is sent to a buffer world before the afterlife. Determined he must not die, he runs away and breaks through to another place in this buffer, where unborn souls find their personal traits and interests before being sent to earth as babies. There, he meets an unborn soul who is determined not to be sent to earth. They work together to try to get Joe back into his body, and along the way learn the truth about one’s purpose in life.

The majority of students spoken to said that they thoroughly enjoyed the movie and would watch it again. Some said they liked the main characters because they were relatable and went through realistic problems. Audrey Cromett ’24 said, “I think that a lot of movies are picture perfect fairy tales and this was a nice change from Disney.”

Surveyed students consistently said that young children and teens would enjoy this movie, and some said that almost anyone could find moments that they would enjoy. Children can follow the fun and colorful animations while older watchers can comprehend the underlying messages.

Although some believed that the lessons of the movie could be difficult to fully comprehend, Maddie Ando ’23 summarized it, saying it was that “we are not brought to life with a purpose intended, we are brought to life to live”. “Soul” does a good job of describing this subject in a tangible way, though it could be missed if one is not attentive to Joe’s development throughout the movie.

Anyone who loves Disney or animation will most definitely enjoy “Soul”. It is a perfect family film, and a great movie to encourage the viewer to think. This scored an average of eight out of ten among the Prep students interviewed, and most recommended to watch it at least once. If ever in the mood for a jazz-filled animation that encourages one to ponder their purpose in this world, Pixar’s “Soul” is the perfect choice.