The successes of animated films are always extremely interesting. While in common thinking there is a stereotype of animation as a children’s film, leading drawing production companies more and more often create stories, intended not only for the youngest.
What’s in the Soul (2020) is one of the most anticipated films from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios this year, especially due to changes regarding its distribution. Instead of the traditional theatrical premiere, the production will appear exclusively on the Disney + platform during Christmas. The soulful game has already appeared at the BFI London Film Festival (October 11), which resulted in the first opinions and reviews, including on the Rotten Tomatoes website, where, so far, with 15 ratings, it maintains a rare 100% result.
What’s in the Soul is a story from the makers of films such as Coco (2017) and In My Mind(2015). It tells the story of Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher who gets the chance to make his dream come true and play on the stage of the best jazz club in the city. However, as a result of an unfortunate accident, it ends up in the Underworld, a realm where souls receive their personalities, advantages and disadvantages before reaching Earth. Wishing to return to his body, Joe begins a journey in search of his way back. He also befriends 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who refuses to leave the Underworld and does not understand what value the experience of humanity can carry. Joe decides to show her how wonderful life can be while facing the biggest questions about human existence, the purpose of life and making dreams come true.
The animation is therefore based on an ambitious plot and faces the challenge of a properly philosophical thread that also appeals to older and adult viewers (hence the decision on the premiere date, which is supposed to encourage family watching). Besides, which attracted a lot of attention from critics and the public, this is the first Pixar film where the main character is a dark-skinned person. One of the creators, Kemp Powers, in his statements very strongly emphasizes the role that this cultural connection plays in the eyes of the American audience. He says that in this way it is easier to show the universality of the values that the film tells about and that it is a great opportunity to show the contribution that African-American culture has made to shaping not only America, but also world tradition – through the example of jazz music.
Although there is still a long time to the general premiere of What’s in the Soul , the film has already taken a very important place in the space of cinematographic discourse this year. The more we know about it, the clearer it becomes that not only the youngest have something to wait for.