Pixar’s Soul is certainly a heartwarming and emotional movie and is one that has quickly proven to be popular on Disney+. Tackling the difficult issue of life after death is no easy feat, but Pixar managed to get it spot on with this movie, without being morbid and managing to showcase a strong level of excitement and fun at the same time.
The actual story, of a man refusing to give up on his dream and fighting to reach his full potential, is also very easy to gravitate towards. With plenty of strong supporting characters to bolster the movie, there really is a lot to enjoy with this movie. But once people have viewed Soul, what other movies could they find equally as fun?
The Book Of Life (2014)
The animated film, The Book Of Life, is a really fun movie that heavily touches on the afterlife in a very vibrant manner. Manolo travels to the ‘Land of the Remembered; after sacrificing himself where he works hard to get his life back after meeting with dead ancestors.
It’s very similar to Soul in that respect, as the Pixar movie saw Joe desperately work hard to regain his life. The Book Of Life is a lot more colorful and bright, spending more time in the afterlife than Soul does, however, the similarities are certainly there.
Ghost Town (2008)
Ghost Town is for a slightly different target audience than Soul, however, teenagers and adults who enjoyed the Pixar movie would certainly find this Ricky Gervais comedy very fun. Here, Gervais plays a character called Bertram, who gets brought back to life in an operation, only to gain the ability to talk with ghosts.
However, unlike Joe Gardner, who is a kind character, Bertram has no interest in giving everyone help, as he finds it annoying. However, this is similar to Soul’s 22, who isn’t really interested or excited about things either, but much like 22, this movie is all about him learning and growing as a person.
Brave (2012)
While Brave is certainly a lot more action-packed than Soul, there is a real fight and focus on bringing someone back to life, when Merida’s mother ends up being turned into a bear. But Merida also displays very similar personality traits to 22, in that she just doesn’t want to conform to what everyone else expects of her.
22 has no interest in going to Earth, just as Merida has no interest in being a stereotypical princess. Each movie sees personal growth take place in a brilliant manner, with plenty of comedy being pumped into both movies.
The Lorax (2012)
This brilliant animated movie brings the popular Dr. Seuss character and story to life in an excellent way, and much like Soul, it teaches its audiences a clear lesson. While that is different from the one that Soul provides, this movie also looks at big issues and makes them relevant to younger viewers.
The Lorax also brings two characters together who have very different views and personalities, as Soul does, and then brings them together as they help teach each other and improve each other to create one impressive movie.
Inside Out (2015)
Inside Out is another of Pixar’s movies, and while this one isn’t about life after death or a soul, it does take a look at a complex issue, and helps make it accessible to younger viewers in a fun manner. The animation techniques push the boundaries within Inside Out, just as Soul does, and it helps make both movies stand out.
Inside Out is incredibly clever with the manner in which it is written. Featuring a lot of fun personalities and characters with a blend of comedy and sadness, this is one movie that people would absolutely love.
Corpse Bride (2005)
This brilliant stop-motion movie which features Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter is a really fun movie that is all set in the world after death. While it is obviously much darker than Soul, it is still targeted at younger audiences, and it features a great deal of charming comedy, just as Soul does.
There’s more romance in this movie, but that doesn’t mean fans of Soul will not enjoy it. As Victor is taken away from his life to the land of the dead, he tries to fight against it, only to end up making a major sacrifice, just as Joe does.
Princess And The Frog (2009)
While the big focus of Soul is life after death and self-discovery, there is also a running theme of jazz music throughout. Another animated movie that features a heavy focus on jazz music is Princess And The Frog, which is one of Disney’s most underrated movies.
The movie also has the same theme of characters going on a journey to get their life back. While Tiana isn’t trying to stop herself from dying, it does focus heavily on her trying to become human again after being turned into a frog.
Whiplash (2014)
Sticking on the music theme, because Joe is a jazz music teacher, there is a clear and obvious connection to the outstanding movie Whiplash. Obviously, this isn’t one that children would find appealing, but there’s no doubt that Pixar movies are for everyone, and therefore older viewers would certainly find Whiplash enjoyable.
This is an incredibly intense movie and the focus is heavily on the music, so anyone who enjoyed that element of Soul would find many parts of this to be a lot of fun as well.
Onward (2020)
Onward doesn’t feature any moments of life after death, but it does focus massively on bringing someone back from the dead, flipping the story of Soul around in a way. Rather than someone fighting to get their life back, Onward sees Ian and Barley head out on a quest to try and bring their father back for just one day.
Onward is also similar to Soul because it features two characters working together on a journey, with Joe and 22 having an equally fun dynamic together as Ian and Barley do. While Onward is obviously set in a totally different world, with magic and different magical creatures, the heart of both movies is certainly similar.
Coco (2017)
Coco is one of Pixar’s greatest ever movies, and it has very similar themes to Soul, and arguably delivers them better. The movie takes viewers on a journey to the land of the dead, and while it is a different environment to Soul, it also features its main character trying to get back before it’s too late.
Another way it’s similar to Soul is the fact that music is the passion of the lead character, Miguel. For him, it is about playing the guitar, although Coco also has a strong family storyline as well which makes this movie a lot more emotional at times.
