A film's score is one or more pieces of original music composed and recorded especially for the film. Instantly recognizable scores include Bernard Herrmann's sharp and pointed compositions for Psychoand John Williams' theme for Jaws which has since become synonymous with suspense. Unlike a score, a soundtrack is a collection of existing music that is licensed and used in a film.
Soundtrack songs can be diegetic or non-diegetic. A diegetic song is one that is playing in the same world as the characters, and can be heard by those onscreen, like Stuck in the Middle With You in Reservoir Dogs. Conversely, non-diegetic music doesn't exist in the world of the film, and is for the benefit of the audience. Many films will use a combination of score and soundtrack to achieve the desired mood. But for some films, music becomes more than a vehicle for atmosphere and functions more like a character. These ten films all use their unique approach to score and/or soundtrack to shape their narratives.
10
'Moonrise Kingdom' (2012)
Music by Randall Poster
Image via Focus Features
The small New England island of New Penzance is home to 12-year-olds Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward). Both introverted and smart, the pair meet and become pen pals. During their correspondence, they decide that they're in love and should run away together the following summer. When the time comes, they follow through on their plan. Sam's absence is noticed by his scout troop almost immediately, and Suzy's absence is noticed by her family. Both parties and the small island's police force begin looking for the young runaways.
Alexandre Desplat's score for Moonrise Kingdom takes a backseat to the soundtrack. The soundtrack, by music supervisor Randall Poster, draws heavily from The Bernstein Favorites: Children's Classics by Leonard Bernstein. This record includes a musical series called 'The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra', in which a young narrator introduces pieces of music and identifies which areas of the orchestra feature in each one. This educational collection of classics takes on a charming and whimsical feel when employed in the Wes Anderson film, and reinforces the youthfulness of the film's characters and outlook throughout.
9
'Dune: Part 2' (2024)
Score by Hans Zimmer
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
After the fall of House Atreides, Paul (Timothée Chalamet) embeds himself with the Fremen people in the deserts of Arrakis. At the same time, Paul's mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is pregnant and develops a mind connection with her unborn child after completing a Fremen ritual. As he learns their ways, Paul and Chani (Zendaya) fall in love. The other Fremen are divided when it comes to Paul. Some believe he is their prophesized messiah, others still see him as an outsider.
The techno-tribal nature of the Fremen and Paul's growing acclimation to their ways is reflected in Hans Zimmer's imposing and instantly recognizable score for Dune: Part Two. Gutteral vocals, choral elements, synth and electric influences and obscure instruments crash together to create a score that is equally futuristic and prehistoric. Dune by Frank Herbert was once considered unadaptable due to the intricacies of the plot and the breadth of the world building required. This assumption has since been surmounted by the skill of writer and director Denis Villeneuve, but the director didn't achieve this feat alone. The costuming, production design, and absolutely domineering score from Zimmer all contribute to the narrative and atmosphere of Dune: Part Two.
8
'Melancholia' (2011)
Music by Mikkel Maltha
Image courtesy via Magnolia Pictures
Sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) have a strained relationship, which isn't helped by the vitriol between their divorced parents. Justine marries Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) in a lavish ceremony at her brother-in-law's estate. During and after the wedding, Justine gradually sinks into a deeper and deeper depression. All the while, a rogue planet named Melancholia is on a path towards earth.
Writer and director Lars von Trier wasn't being particularly subtle when he made a film about depression and titled it Melancholia. While the metaphor and naming are far from coy, the visualization of depression, rendered in the film as a cosmic apocalypse, is devastating and beautiful despite its bluntness. Scattered throughout the film's naturalistic dialogue and slice of life scenes are a series of tableaux depicting the impending apocalypse (including one in which Dunst replicates John Everett Millais' Ophelia). Accompanying each tableau is the Prelude to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. The piece functions like a motif throughout the film. It channels the tragedy of the Tristan and Isolde story and applies it to von Trier's modern tale.
Melancholia
Release Date
November 11, 2011
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
Lars von Trier
Writers
Lars von Trier
7
'Drive' (2011)
Music by Brian McNelis
Image via FilmDistrict
A Los Angeles stuntman (Ryan Gosling) spends his days working at a mechanic's shop and doing stunt work on action films. But, he also has a well-paying side hustle as a getaway driver for criminals in the LA underworld. His habit of keeping to himself changes when he meets his new neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son. He becomes fond of the pair and offers to help them out when Irene's dysfunctional husband (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison.
Drive's score was composed by former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer and current composer Cliff Martinez. Although Martinez's film and TV scores are worthy of discussion (his work on the underrated TV series The Knick is among his best) the real standout in Drive is its soundtrack. Overseen by music supervisor Brian McNelis, the synth-laden Euro-pop soundtrack defined Drive, and shaped the definition of 'cool' for the entirety of the 2010s. Heavy bass, soft synths and ethereal vocals established the film's atmosphere as one that is glamorous and edgy in equal measure.
Drive
Release Date
September 16, 2011
Runtime
100 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Hossein Amini
6
'Interstellar' (2014)
Score by Hans Zimmer
Image via Paramount Pictures
Dust storms, crop blights and hostile conditions on earth make life increasingly difficult in the mid-21st century. Widower and former pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) works to raise his two children while running his farm. A series of discoveries lead Cooper to uncover a secret NASA project which will aim to travel through a wormhole to search for a new planet that can sustain human life. Cooper volunteers for the mission, leaving his children in the care of their grandfather (John Lithgow).
Like many directors, Christopher Nolan makes choices, not mistakes. One of the director's choices while making Interstellar was to get experimental with the sound mixing. Rather than the typical mix that balances dialogue, score and other sound elements, Interstellar pelted the ears of its audience with a wall of sound on a regular basis. Audiences may not have enjoyed the experience, but they did have the experience Nolan intended. The utterly earsplitting delivery of Hans Zimmer's hopeful yet melancholic score is oppressive and all-encompassing. The music and the mix offer little reprieve for the film's audience, and the resulting sonic overload adds the punch and impact that Interstellar's narrative needs.
Young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) was orphaned after a car accident claimed the lives of his parents and left him with tinnitus. To drown out the constant ringing in his ears, Baby listens to music while he drives. Despite his skill behind the wheel, Baby isn't working as a getaway driver for fun. Instead, he's working to pay off a debt he owes to crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). As his driving work gets more complicated and his debt is closer to being paid off, Baby meets a waitress named Debora (Lily James) and the pair start a relationship.
Unlike most of the other films mentioned, the soundtrack of Baby Driver heavily relies on diegetic music that is not only central to the film's plot, but to the character of the protagonist. Excluding outright musicals, there are few films with narratives as heavily influenced by music as Baby Driver. Baby's love of music, and the songs chosen, are clearly reflective of director Edgar Wright's own tastes. The result is a satisfyingly pacey and beat-driven action film which infuses music into its editing and set pieces as well as the identity of its protagonist.
In 1960's Hong Kong, Mrs Chan (Maggie Cheung) and Mr Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) each rent a small room in the same crowded apartment building with their respective partners. With each of their partners regularly traveling for work, the two young professionals get acquainted and ultimately learn that their spouses are having an affair with each other. Mrs Chan and Mr Chow spend more and more time together. They begin to develop romantic feelings for each other, but vow that they won't act on them.
Humid and wet Hong Kong weather and brimming sexual tension are embodied by a recurring musical motif in In the Mood For Love. The film from legendary Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai is an exercise in yearning and restraint, and the film's music is no different. The most notable piece of music in the film is Yumeji's Theme, which plays multiple times, accompanying montages of loneliness and longing. The performances by icons Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai alone would be more than enough to convey these feelings. But, the expressive music combined with Wong's direction does more to speak to the characters' desires than words ever could.
In the Mood For Love
Release Date
March 9, 2001
Runtime
98 Minutes
Director
Kar-Wai Wong
Writers
Kar-Wai Wong
3
'Whiplash' (2014)
Score by Justin Hurwitz
Image via Sony
Andrew (Miles Teller) is a jazz drummer attending the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. Andrew is overjoyed when Terence Fletcher (J. K. Simmons) selects him to join the Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band. But his excitement is quickly dashed when he learns that Fletcher is a verbally abusive and toxic teacher. Despite Fletcher's merciless bullying, Andrew is determined to impress him and prove himself.
The score, soundtrack and diegetic musical performances throughout Whiplash are almost impossible to untangle from each other. The result is a constant and frantic barrage of drum-dominated jazz that is as infectious as it is overbearing. Music defines Andrew's life, so it only makes sense that it should define the experience the audience has while watching Whiplash. The unyielding and fevered jazz soundtrack brings the audiences into the minds and points of view of both Andrew and Fletcher. While Fletcher is undoubtedly cast as the antagonist, and a person no one should aspire to please, the sublimity of the music almost convinces viewers of his tactics... almost.
Whiplash
Release Date
October 10, 2014
Runtime
107 Minutes
Director
Damien Chazelle
Writers
Damien Chazelle
2
'Phantom Thread' (2017)
Score by Jonny Greenwood
Image via Focus Features
Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a fastidious and singular fashion designer in 1950's London. His skill and creative output come at a price, and Reynolds is a controlling and difficult perfectionist. While visiting a client in the country, Reynolds meets waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps) and is instantly drawn to her. The pair begin a romance and Alma becomes a muse for Reynolds. But Alma's willfulness and independence put a strain on Reynolds and his need for total control.
In addition to performing as the lead guitarist for Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood is also behind the scores for films like The Master, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread. Greenwood's score for Phantom Thread includes contributions from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Contemporary Orchestra and an orchestra of 60 strings. Greenwood cites romantic recordings of pieces from Baroque composers like Vivaldi as key influences for the score. Defined by decorative, yet precise flourishes and embellishments, the Baroque influence is a sweet and apt compliment to Phantom Thread's atmosphere. It also pairs flawlessly with the characterization of Reynolds Woodcock, who is as artful as he is meticulous. While the music is soft and delicate, it is also constant, and informs the notion that an obsession, even one with beauty, can be suffocating.
Phantom Thread
Release Date
December 25, 2017
Runtime
131 minutes
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Writers
Paul Thomas Anderson
1
'Challengers' (2024)
Score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Image via MGM
Tennis power-couple Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) are riding high. They have a young daughter and lucrative partnerships with luxury brands. But Art is one US Open title away from a Career Grand Slam and Tashi lacks confidence in his ability to achieve the milestone. In an effort to build his confidence, she enters him as a wild card in a small Challenger event. Among the competitors is Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) who is talented but lacks discipline.
When they aren't performing as Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are composing scores for films like The Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Challengers. Challengers represents the best work the pair have delivered to date. Their score for the Luca Guadagnino film is as important to the story's success as the cracking screenplay, bold performances and energetic direction. Much like a tennis referee and rule book, the score for Challengers sets the pace, defines the passage of time and establishes the structure of the non-linear narrative. Despite being entirely shut out from the Oscars this year, Challengers boasts the best screenplay, editing and certainly score of the 2024 season.
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