Soul tells the story of Joe, a jazz fanatic who goes into a coma and ends up on the conveyer belt to The Great Beyond. Joe spends the movie attempting to get back to Earth and back into his own body, in order to perform in a jazz concert. Soul shows a very elaborate system for the life of souls - from when they begin to when they occupy bodies on Earth to when they are on the conveyor belt to The Great Beyond.
As the system for souls the movie shows is so complicated, many fans still have questions about the life of souls and the life and death logic of the movie. Of course, it is unsurprising that the filmmakers could not answer every life and death question, given no one knows what happens before or afterlife, but here are the key unanswered questions fans still have.
What Exactly Is In The Great Beyond?
The Great Beyond refers to the place that souls go once a body dies on Earth. The film does show three souls entering The Great Beyond and the souls turn into little circles before disappearing completely.
The film never specifies what The Great Beyond actually is; it could be a nothingness or an afterlife. Based on what is shown in the movie, it is most likely not a version of heaven and hell, as all souls go to the same place. There are obvious reasons why this is left out in the movie: it creates an element of mystery and wonder in the film and, most importantly, no one (not even filmmakers!) know for certain what happens after death. However, this emission does leave fans wondering what actually happens to souls in The Great Beyond.
Why Does Everyone Else On The Escalator Know What Is Going On?
When Joe, the most likable character in Soul, finds himself on the escalator going to The Great Beyond, he is so confused about where he is and what is going on. This is for good reason: one moment he is happily walking down the street and the next he seems to be on a conveyor belt in outer space. He panics and asks other souls on the conveyor belt where he is.
Surprisingly, all the other souls seem to know exactly what is going on and that their body is dead and their soul is on the way to The Great Beyond. This does seem to be a plot hole as this is never explained in the film. Did Joe miss an important step? Did the other souls get told what is happening? Joe's confusion does seem to be genuine, so it is unlikely to be because Joe is in denial.
Don't Souls Escape From The Escalator To The Great Beyond All The Time?
Surely Joe is not the only soul to think that their time on Earth has ended too soon and want to go back into their body and finish their life on Earth. Given it takes little effort and force for Joe to escape the conveyor belt to The Great Beyond, it is extremely surprising that the Jerrys and the Terrys do not know what is going on. Especially given Jerry says that most people wish they had never died, it is fair to assume that this happens a lot, but everyone acts as if Joe is the first case of this happening.
Why Did Joe's Soul Go To The Great Before, Rather Than Back To His Body?
When Joe finds himself on the way to The Great Beyond, his body is in a coma rather than dead. When Joe pushes his way off the conveyor belt to The Great Beyond, he finds himself in The Great Before rather than back in his own body on Earth and this begins Joe's journey as one of Pixar's greatest heroes.
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It seems that Joe pushing his way off the escalator to The Great Beyond is him demonstrating a will to live and, if so, why does Joe's soul not return to his body at this point? It is a regular occurrence on Earth that people go into and come out of comas, so it seems surprising that Joe demonstrating a will to live does not put his soul directly back into his body (although this would have made the movie very short!). Even after this, Joe cannot get back to his body using the Earth Portal. Although this is sort of explained by Joe not having an Earth pass and that he is an untethered soul, it does seem common sense that he would be able to return to his comatose body in this instance.
How Are New Souls Made?
The film explains that new souls are given personality characteristics in The Great Before by the Jerrys. But when the films shows new souls, they are wondering around The Great Before and there seems to be a finite number of them.
As people on Earth keep being born, more souls need to be made to inhabit the new bodies, so where do fresh souls come from? In the film it is not made clear is new souls simply appear, if the Jerrys make them or if they are born in some way. This leaves fans wondering where new souls comes from, before they are simply there in The Great Before.
Is Time Linear In The Great Before?
22 explains that time is not really a thing in The Great Before, however, 22 also says they have been in The Great before for quite some time and that they have a seminar for new souls once a week.
This does seem to be a contradiction and a loophole in the movie. Of course, 22 could have phrased this in a way that Joe could understand but, if so, this is not made clear. Additionally, if time is not linear, it does not seem possible that 22 is considered such a problem for taking such a long time to get their Earth pass. Thus, fans are left not knowing if time passes in The Great Before.
How Are The People With Lost Souls Living On Earth?
Moonwind explains that some people's obsessions and anxieties mean that their souls become lost and disconnected from life. These souls end up in the space between the spiritual and the physical, but their bodies are still functioning on Earth. This scene is a particularly sad one and is one of the reasons why Soul is one of Pixar's most emotional movies.
However, Jerry explains that the personalities of souls are determined in The Great Before. If both of these are true then bodies are on Earth without personalities, which does seem unlikely. As fans have experience of living on Earth, they know that every human has their own personality. This does confuse fans, as it just seems to be untrue.
How Can Joe Make A Connection To His Body, If He Is An Untethered Soul?
When 22 introduces Joe to Moonwind in an attempt to help Joe get back into his body on Earth, Moonwind explains that it is more difficult for Joe because he is an untethered soul. Joe then enters into a meditative state in order to make a connection to his body and, indeed, they find his body.
If Joe's soul is literally unconnected to his body (hence why he cannot easily return to Earth), then it seems impossible that he could tune into the physical surroundings of his body. However, he manages to hear the heart monitor beside his body, feel Mr Mitten's fur and begins to feel his feet. How this is possible is never explained in the film and fans do still have questions about this logic.
How Does Moonwind And His Team Have So Much Control In And Knowledge Of The Space Between The Physical And The Spiritual?
Moonwind is a soul who has a living body on Earth but travels to the space between the physical and the spiritual to help lost souls get back to their bodies. While the lost souls (and souls in the zone) are unknowingly floating about, Moonwind and his friends understand where they are, what is going on and move around the space freely.
Soul never explains how or why Moonwind and his team know what is happening and are able to travel freely around the space to help lost souls. Fans do wonder how this is possible and would have liked the film to explain this.
Do Animals Have Souls?
When Joe initially falls back to Earth, Mr. Mittens soul finds itself on the conveyor belt approaching The Great Beyond, seemingly because Joe kicks Mr. Mittens' soul out of his body when he lands in it.
Soul never shows any other animal souls in The Great Before or The Great After, which begs the question if all animals have souls. As the audience sees Mr. Mittens' soul, it very much seems as if they do. However, fans are unsure whether animal souls go through the same process that human souls do in order inhabit a body on Earth and why there are no other animal souls in the realms before or after life.