Soul(2024)

PG
1h 40m

Release Date: Jan 12, 2024 | Wide

Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.

Releases

Original Release | Jan 12, 2024

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$431,840
Total US & Canada:
$946,154
Total International
$121,031,357
Total Worldwide:
$121,977,511

Current Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Pete Docter
Director

Kemp Powers
Director

Somluck Kamsing
Tid Ken

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos,Dolby Surround 7.1,12-Track Digital Sound,Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English,Korean,Inuktitut

Summaries

Plot Summary

Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher, feels stuck in life and unfulfilled at his job. He dreams of a career in jazz, to which his seamstress mother, Libba, objects. By chance, his former student Curly informs him of an opening in the band of jazz legend Dorothea Williams. Joe impresses Dorothea with his piano playing and is offered the job on the spot. As Joe happily heads off to prepare for his first performance later that night, he falls down a manhole.Joe finds himself as a soul heading into the "Great Beyond". Unwilling to die before his big break, he tries to escape but ends up in the "Great Before", where soul counselors-all named Jerry-prepare unborn souls for life on Earth. Joe poses as an instructor who is set to train the souls and is assigned 22, a cynical soul who has remained in the Great Before for millennium and sees no point in living on Earth. 22 reveals that she has a badge that fills up with traits. She needs to find her "spark" to complete it and says she will give it to Joe so that he can return home.Joe tries to assist 22 in finding a passion, but the attempts prove futile. With no other options, 22 takes him out to "the zone", an area that people enter when their passion sets them into a euphoric trance; it also houses the lost souls who become obsessed. They meet Moonwind, a sign twirler who enters the zone to rescue lost souls. He agrees to help Joe return to his body and they learn that Joe's fall down the manhole sent him into a coma. Joe excitedly hops back to Earth but accidentally brings 22 with him, resulting in 22 entering his body and Joe ending up in the body of a therapy cat. Meanwhile, Terry, an accountant designated to counting souls headed to the Great Beyond, finds the count off and convinces the Jerrys to let her return the missing soul.22 and Joe escape the hospital. Initially frightened, 22 settles into Joe's body and finds great enjoyment in the little things in life. They head to Joe's apartment where Connie, one of Joe's students, arrives to tell him that she is quitting the band. Before leaving, Connie plays a passionate trombone solo, stunning 22, who convinces her of the talent she has and that music is for her. Happy, Connie thanks "Joe" and leaves, having changed her mind. They next go to get a haircut where 22 holds a deep, poignant conversation with Dez, the barber. After 22 rips Joe's pants while bending down, the duo go to see Libba to have it fixed; after "Joe" reconciles with his mother, Libba finally accepts Joe's passion for music and offers him his late father's old suit.Before Moonwind can restore Joe, 22, who both experiences an epiphany and decides she must find her purpose on Earth, refuses to proceed with Joe's restoration. As she flees with Joe tailing behind, Terry catches up and brings both back to the Great Before, where 22 sees that her badge has been filled out. However, Joe tells her that his experiences and tastes earned the badge. Angry, 22 tosses the badge at Joe and disappears into the zone. Joe learns from a Jerry that instead of a life's purpose, a spark simply means that a soul is ready to live. He heads back to Earth and has a successful first performance with the Dorothea quartet, but does not feel right about what happened.Inspired by the objects 22 collected while in his body, Joe plays the piano to enter the zone and look for 22, who is now a lost soul. He tries to return her badge, but 22 remains hopeless and broken about her purpose. Using a small maple seed that 22 had collected, Joe convinces her that she is ready to live, and she returns to normal. With her badge back, 22 finally enters Earth with Joe accompanying her for as long as he can. As he prepares to head into the Great Beyond, Joe is stopped by a Jerry who tells him that he has inspired them and will give him another chance at life. Joe thanks them and returns to his body back in Earth, now with the intent to live his life to the fullest.

Storyline

Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz and he's good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul. Joe Gardner is a middle school music teacher, pursuing his dreams of playing with great jazz musicians in his time outside of teaching. In the pursuit of his dream, he stumbles into a new world. Joe takes on a new role as a mentor, helping another realize their true passion and spark. — christopheyao Gifted jazz pianist Joe Gardner has an unyielding desire to make it big. Instead, when a crucial audition leads to an unexpected twist, Joe suddenly finds himself trapped in a surreal dimension somewhere between life and the afterlife. But in this dreamy celestial nursery of unborn souls, a mystical force grants Joe the opportunity to get his big break. The task is challenging; the talented musician must give his all to inspire others by encouraging them to search for their true calling and passion--their "spark". However, what if Joe isn't ready to cross over yet? Will he learn to embrace life to the fullest, to find his soul? — Nick Riganas A male jazz musician finds himself between life and death as a soul spirit. With the help of his new friends, he tries everything to make his dreams of playing in a big club with a huge musical legend a reality. What he does not know is that he has a time limit to achieve it. — RECB3