What age is Soul appropriate for?

Soul is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 7+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The scene where Joe discovers he has died and is no longer in his body, followed by 22 becoming a lost soul — disconnected, obsessive, and pursued with a net — may genuinely unsettle children under 7, and the film's central themes of death, the afterlife, and finding life's purpose require a level of emotional maturity to process without distress.

Does Soul have swearing or bad language?

Soul has Very Mild language. Characters say 'hell' three times, 'butt' three times, 'stinky' twice, and 'crap' once — all mild, everyday words.

Soul has Very Mild violence. Joe falls off a ledge in the Great Before and tumbles through space — entirely cartoon in style with no injury shown or implied.

Is Soul scary for children?

Soul has Mild scary scenes. Joe discovers he has died and is no longer in his body — a startling existential moment that may catch younger children off guard even though it is handled without gore or horror imagery.

Is Soul OK for Kids?

Name: Soul
Director: Pete Docter
Genre: Animation, Family, Drama, Music, Fantasy
Released: 2020
Duration: 101 min
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga

AnimationFamilyDramaMusicFantasy

PG⭐ 8.0 / 102020 · 1h 41m

Pete Docter

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Buy

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Joe falls off a ledge in the Great Before and tumbles through space — entirely cartoon in style with no injury shown or implied.
22, inhabiting Joe's body, scratches at Joe (in the cat's body) with cat claws in a comedic physical squabble — played purely for laughs.
Terry the accountant chases and catches Joe as a lost soul — a pursuit scene with comic energy and no physical harm.
22, as a lost soul, runs chaotically through the zone and is pursued by characters attempting to catch her with a net — frantic but not threatening.
All violence in the film is cartoon in tone with no realistic threat, no weapons, no blood, and no lasting injury — the overall atmosphere is comic and fantastical rather than dangerous.

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Characters say 'hell' three times, 'butt' three times, 'stinky' twice, and 'cr*p' once — all mild, everyday words.
No moderate, strong, or extreme profanity of any kind detected — no a**, no s**t, no f-words or c-words.
No slurs, insults, or creative name-calling of note beyond the mild words listed above.

👻Scary Scenes

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

Joe discovers he has died and is no longer in his body — a startling existential moment that may catch younger children off guard even though it is handled without gore or horror imagery.
22 becomes a lost soul — disconnected from reality, running chaotically and obsessively — this is the film's most genuinely scary scene and may disturb children who are sensitive to themes of losing one's mind or identity.
Joe wakes up inside a cat's body instead of his own — a tense, disorienting moment presented with some comedy but initially alarming.
Joe realises he may permanently lose his chance to return to his body and perform at The Half Note — sustained emotional tension rather than visual fright.
There are no jump scares, monsters, or horror imagery; scary moments are resolved through Joe's sacrifice and the Jerrys restoring both souls to their rightful place.

💕Romance

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

22 briefly references a woman named Lisa, suggesting a possible romantic interest in Joe's life, but nothing is shown on screen and it is not explored further.
Joe's mother kisses him on the lips in greeting as a cultural family expression of affection — Joe initially hesitates, played as a mild comic beat rather than romantic content.
No kissing between romantic partners, no sexual content, no suggestive imagery, and no romantic relationships are depicted in the film.

🍺Substances

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

A doctor briefly mentions a drug in dialogue that is not working on Joe's body — a single passing medical reference with no glorification or detail.
Joe and 22 eat pizza and street food together as part of 22's first experience of Earth — food is the only 'substance' shown casually on screen.
Lollipops are handed out by Dez and Paul at the barbershop — entirely innocuous.
No alcohol, smoking, recreational drugs, or substance abuse of any kind is depicted or glorified at any point in the film.

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

Joe's jazz performance at The Half Note is a sustained, emotionally and sonically intense sequence with complex music and vivid sensory imagery — exciting for most children but absorbing for adults too.
22 experiencing Earth for the first time — walking, smelling, tasting, feeling water — is a rapid, joyful sequence packed with new sensations that may feel energising or slightly overwhelming depending on the child.
The chase sequence with 22 as a lost soul in the zone features rapid movement, chaotic energy, and back-to-back action that may be too much for younger or sensory-sensitive children.
22's experience on the busy New York City subway is deliberately overwhelming — crowded, loud, and fast — and is the film's most sensory-intense single moment.
Parents of sensory-sensitive children should be aware the film alternates between quiet reflective scenes and sudden bursts of intense visual and musical stimulation.

Soul — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its cheerful Pixar branding, the film opens with Joe dying and immediately confronting his own mortality — this happens within the first few minutes with little build-up, and the scene where 22 becomes a lost soul (visually distorted, obsessive, and emotionally unreachable) is darker in tone than the trailers suggest and may genuinely unsettle sensitive children aged 5 to 7 who are not yet ready to engage with themes of death and loss of self.

About Soul

Soul follows Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher and passionate jazz pianist, who falls into a manhole on the day of his dream gig and finds his soul transported to a cosmic afterlife called the Great Before. To return to his body and play his big show, Joe must mentor a reluctant soul named 22, and together they accidentally swap bodies — Joe ends up in a therapy cat while 22 inhabits his human form. The film is a warm, philosophically rich Pixar adventure that blends jazz culture, New York City life, and big questions about purpose and what makes life worth living.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The film's themes of death, the afterlife, lost purpose, and what makes life worth living are rich but emotionally complex — children aged 7 to 9 will benefit from a parent present to help them process Joe's death, 22's frightening lost-soul transformation, and the film's philosophical conclusion that achievement alone does not bring fulfilment.

Family Takeaways from Soul

What it gets right

✓The film handles the concept of death with extraordinary gentleness — Joe's discovery that he has died is treated as the beginning of a story rather than a tragedy, giving families a natural, non-frightening way to open conversations about mortality.
✓22's transformation from a soul who believes she has no spark to one who finds wonder in a falling maple seed models for children that purpose does not have to be grand — it can be as simple as noticing the world around you.

Soul Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Faith & Religion

●Buddhist themes

The film's central premise explores Buddhist concepts of the soul's journey, attachment to earthly desires, and finding one's true purpose beyond material ambitions. Joe's spiritual transformation from obsessive pursuit of jazz fame to understanding what truly makes life worth living directly reflects Buddhist philosophy about letting go of attachment.

Community Notes

Some critics noted that for a film centred on Black jazz culture and a Black protagonist, a significant portion of the story is told through Joe inhabiting a cat's body or coaching a non-Black soul named 22, raising questions about how much screen time the Black experience actually receives — parents from African American communities may wish to discuss this framing with older children.

Awards: Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score

Cast:Jamie FoxxTina FeyGraham NortonRachel HouseAlice Braga