Why Pixar's Underrated Movie 'Soul' Is One Of The Best

Pixar has produced some of the best animated movies of all time, and its best movie of the decade was quietly released six years ago. Pixar is still one of the biggest and most popular animation studios, and it has some titles among the best movies of all time.

Almost every Pixar movie has been a critical and box office success, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed the game for the studio. Since Onward, Pixar's movies have struggled to succeed with critics and general audiences, and as a result, great movies haven't gotten the recognition they deserve. Such is the case of Soul, one of Pixar’s best and most underrated movies to date.

Why Soul Is One Of Pixar’s Best Movies Ever

In 2020, Pixar released Soul, directed by Pete Docter. Soul tells the story of Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a middle school teacher and pianist who dreams of being a professional jazz player. After a successful audition to join the band of a famous jazz musician, Joe dies when he accidentally falls down an open manhole.

Joe’s soul travels to the “Great Beyond”, but as he’s unwilling to go through the whole process of dying, he ends up in the “Great Before”, where new souls are prepared for life on Earth. There, he meets 22 (Tina Fey), a young but stubborn soul who has been avoiding Earth.

Together, Joe and 22 find the meaning of life and their “spark”, and both have different meanings for them. Soul is one of Pixar’s deepest and most complex movies to date, exploring themes like life, death, purpose, meaning, fear, and identity. Through Joe and 22, Soul explores the joy of the little things and everyday life, and how these are easy to miss amid worries and ambitions.

Soul is slower than most Pixar movies, but a change of pace was required given its story and themes. Soul managed to explore these themes in a way that they are easy to follow, and the characters are charming and relatable, making it one of the studio’s best movies.

Why Soul Didn’t Get The Recognition It Deserves

Unfortunately, Soul came out during a difficult time for Pixar. The COVID-19 pandemic forced studios to rethink their release plans. In Pixar’s case, it opted for either very short theatrical releases or direct-to-streaming releases, with Soul falling into the latter (though it was released in theaters in countries without Disney+).

This, of course, limited its reach, and it didn’t have a strong marketing campaign, either. Soul is also more mature and complex than other Pixar movies, so it isn’t exactly a movie for a young audience, which also led to many viewers not giving it a chance. Because of this, Soul was also labeled as “confusing” and even “convoluted” by some critics, which, again, didn’t help its reputation.

While I must admit that Soul isn’t exactly a “family movie” like the rest of Pixar’s movies, that doesn’t make it any less great. Its complexity and the way it addresses its themes are what make it so great, and though it didn’t get the recognition it deserved during its initial release, it’s now getting attention on streaming.

Soul Got A Secret Prequel In 2021

Given its disappointing performance, Soul isn’t a movie that will get a sequel, but that doesn’t mean that its unique world ended with the movie. In 2021, Pixar released 22 vs. Earth, an animated short film directed by Kevin Nolting, which, as the title says, follows 22 (with Tina Fey reprising her role).

22 vs. Earth is set before the events of Soul, and it sees the beautifully chaotic 22 forming a rebel alliance to stop souls from going to Earth – of course, this doesn’t last long and isn’t successful.

Just like Soul, 22 vs. Earth questions the meaning of life and a soul’s purpose. 22 vs. Earth was a success, and at the time of writing, is the only expansion of the world of Soul.