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Soul

Soul

Everybody has a soul. Joe Gardner is about to find his.

2020100 minPGMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Directors
Kemp Powers, Pete Docter
Starring
Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House

Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Soul?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Soul streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Soul?

Soul earns 8 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Soul worth watching?

Soul's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 3.1M ratings across 6 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

98th percentile among Animation98th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

81 /100

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Animation96th percentile among 2020s

Critics 83 · Audience 80

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

90% liked it

98th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Animation97th percentile among 2020s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 57 wins / 42 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Animated
  • WonGolden Globes· Best Original Score - Motion Picture

90th percentile

3.1M ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Animation91st percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 40% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$150M
Opening weekend$432K
Domestic gross$946K
Worldwide gross$122M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 87th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a mature, existential meditation on life's meaning, more suited for adults than children.

Fans praised

  • Life-affirming message about savoring small moments over grand achievements
  • Stunning animation and visual artistry, especially the Great Before and New York City
  • Beautiful jazz score by Jon Batiste and ethereal music by Reznor/Ross

Detractors panned

  • Preachy, surface-level philosophy that feels shallow and unearned
  • Boring pacing and lack of humor; fails to engage children
  • Weak, unsatisfying ending that feels like a cop-out

What stands out

Cinematography92

Gorgeous, hyper-realistic NYC and abstract Great Before

Sound and music90

Exceptional jazz compositions and Reznor/Ross score

OriginalityDivisive78

Fresh take on afterlife but draws on Inside Out/Coco formulas

Emotional impactDivisive70

Moved many fans to tears; detractors found it hollow

CharactersDivisive60

Lead's selfishness and 22's cynicism divide viewers

Plot and storyDivisive55

Conceptually ambitious but structurally messy and predictable

PacingDivisive45

Slow first half, drags in middle; loses momentum

HumorDivisive40

Low-key, minimal comedy; few laugh-out-loud moments

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Soul like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
ContemplativeJoyfulBittersweetHopeful
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its existential themes with gentle warmth and earnest sincerity, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film balances quiet, pondering moments with bursts of joy; the emotional heft builds toward the ending as Joe confronts his regrets and finds peace.
StructureConventional beginning-middle-end narrative, following Joe from life to afterlife and back.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you uplifted and contemplating the beauty of everyday life, rather than chasing grand purposes.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Voyage and return underneath

Why this archetypeA jazz teacher dies and explores the afterlife, learning that life's meaning is in the small moments, not grand purpose.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centres on Joe's desperate search for his purpose as a jazz musician, while 22's journey reveals that purpose is found in living fully, not in a single passion.
StanceThe film affirms that life's purpose is found in the ordinary joys and connections, not in a singular grand passion.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanAlternate dimensionFantasy
JazzOrchestral modernElectronicForeground music · hybrid · Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
SettingNew York City and the metaphysical Great Before/Great Beyond
MusicTrent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score mixes electronic textures with Jon Batiste's original jazz compositions and songs like 'It's All Right'.

Content guide

Is Soul okay for kids?

PG

Soul is rated PG: “Rated PG for thematic elements and some language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (8/100), sexual content at minimal (8/100), language at minimal (13/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (6/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Overall it is heavier than 8% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany0
  • FranceU
  • IrelandPG
  • New ZealandPG
  • JapanPG12
  • South KoreaALL
  • BrazilL
  • ArgentinaATP
  • AustriaAA
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark7
  • FinlandK-7
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hungary12
  • IDSU
  • MexicoA
  • Netherlands9
  • Norway6
  • PortugalM/6
  • PRPG
  • ROAP
  • Russia6+
  • SingaporePG
  • SK7
  • SpainA
  • Sweden7
  • Taiwan0+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 2% of all filmsHeavier than 8% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 7%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 10%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 20%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 8%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 38%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 38% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Soul have?

MovieCove's classifier found no content warnings in Soul's parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in Soul?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jamie Foxx
as Joe
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tina Fey
as 22
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Graham Norton
as Moonwind
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rachel House
as Terry
Alice Braga
as Counselor Jerry
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Richard Ayoade
as Counselor Jerry
Phylicia Rashad
as Libba
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Donnell Rawlings
as Dez
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Questlove
as Curley
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Angela Bassett
as Dorothea
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Soul?

Movies like Soul include Moana (2016), Toy Story 4 (2019) and Coco (2017). Of the 12 closest matches, most are fantasy films, and half are films about self-worth.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: another dimension. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Soul?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: teacher. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.