Soul

Between the Monstropolis of Monsters, Inc and Inside Out's emotional headquarters, Pete Docter has long been Pixar's king of surreal worlds. That remains resolutely the case with the Oscar-winning Soul, which Docter co-directs with Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami). A matter of life and death that navigates its hidden depths with delicacy and world-building dazzle, Soul follows New York teacher Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a frustrated jazz musician who meets an untimely demise. Determined to return to life from the "Great Beyond", Joe unites with sulky, unborn soul 22 (Tina Fey), sparking off a playful mix of celestial chase movie, body-swap romp, buddy movie, fish-out-of-water comedy and existential enquiry alike. Even if the free-jazz plotting seems initially wayward, the results brim with exuberance, invention, wit, and musicality. The film's disparate parts cohere beautifully in a bold take on life fulfilment that culminates in a finale as sweetly, softly poignant as Pixar's best.