Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher with a deep passion for jazz music who feels unfulfilled with the direction of his life. When he finally gets his big break and is invited to play at the best jazz club in town, an unfortunate accident causes Joe's soul to be separated from his body and taken to The Great Before—a mystical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks, and interests before they go to Earth. In an effort to return to his life, Joe tries to escape but instead ends up as a mentor to an unborn soul named 22, who has spent centuries in The Great Before resisting all attempts to inspire her to live a life on Earth.

Joe believes that if he can help 22 find her "spark," he will be able to return to his body in time for his big performance. As he tries to prepare 22 for life and show her what's great about living, he embarks on an existential journey of self-discovery. Through this adventure, Joe starts to realize what it truly means to have a soul and begins to see the small, often overlooked aspects of life that make it worth living. However, as he gets closer to his goal, Joe is forced to reckon with what it really means to have passion and find purpose in life.