Miguel meets his deceased relatives in the Land of the Dead in Pixar’s Coco. The realm is a vast, colorful city populated by skeletons and connected to the world of the living.
Miguel enters this afterlife after taking Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar from the singer’s mausoleum. Because he is alive, ordinary residents cannot fully interact with him at first. His dead relatives discover that he has crossed over and try to return him before sunrise.
The Land of the Dead is designed as a layered city with towers, bridges, markets, music venues, and family districts. Its visual design combines Mexican cultural references with Pixar’s fantasy storytelling. The city is not presented as a frightening underworld; it is lively, social, and filled with memories of ordinary life.
The film distinguishes the Land of the Dead from the living world and from the possibility of the Final Death. Characters can remain there as long as they are remembered by people in the living world.