Animated movies differ from live action movies in many ways. Most obviously, they visually show a more abstract (and often fantastical) interpretation of real life, which makes way for more abstract and fantastical concepts, ideas, and plots. This is generally why animation is often associated with children’s content. Slowly, as people grow up, many tend to become less fond of cartoons and gravitate more towards live-action entertainment.

The elements that make up cartoons are not inherently less mature than live action, just as how fantasy novels can carry as much weight as realistic fiction, despite taking place on worlds other than our own. It is a medium. It is not better or worse than any other medium. So, why bring this up? Well, on Friday, December 25, 2020, prominent animation studio Pixar released Soul, a movie that displays this concept in a fantastic way.

Soul is largely about death, or more importantly, life. It centers around a middle school band teacher who has a passion for music. He dreams and dreams of getting a gig that will make music his career. After years of failed attempts, he got the gig! Then, once he celebrated, he died… sort of, it is quite complicated. That is as far as I will go in the interest of not spoiling the plot.

What makes Soul notable is how mature and genuinely thought-provoking its themes are, despite the societal bias that animated movies are less mature. And though this is certainly not new for Pixar (they are no stranger to tough topics), it is something that must be discussed. “What is the meaning of life?” is a question that gets thrown around a lot, and Soul takes on this subject in a way that is, in my opinion, very nuanced and well thought-out – it defies a lot of society’s notions about what life is supposed to be, and it is a genuinely uncommon theme to see in a movie. Soul challenges the viewer to read between the lines and think about their own life, and what it means. It is a genuinely refreshing narrative, and its resolution challenges the validity of the resolutions that many other movies have.

Soul was released to Disney+ on Christmas last year, and found success – a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% audience rating. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for some pleasant sounds, sights, and semi-serious subjects.