My Favorite Scores of 2018
When people talk about their favorite aspects of movies it generally starts with Actors, Directors, Writers, maybe even Cinematographers, and then a few minutes into the conversation someone will bring up the music. Music is an essential aspect that can make or break a film, just like any of the other categories listed but you know, more so. Sometimes a theme will stick in your head and you'll ask yourself "Why am I not watching Indiana Jones right now?" or when you're pranking your friend you sing the Jaws theme. When done right music can heighten your experience of action, drama, and the overall impression of the film you watched. So, in honor of all the great movies that happened last year this list will highlight my favorite scores, composers, and tracks that 2018 was gracious enough to give us.
Before getting to my actual list I just wanted to mention a few honorables, because let's face it; 2018 was a great year for all aspects of film. So let's start off with:
- The Commuter - Roque Baños
- The Death of Stalin - Christopher Willis
- Love, Simon - Rob Simonsen
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - James Newton Howard
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Michael Giacchino
Each one has wonderful scores that you should check out. From the intensely cool to the bombastic ridiculous, these scores almost made it onto this list. Now, for the actual list:
10. Avengers: Infinity War
The biggest blockbuster in...forever? Yeah, Avengers promised the big purple raisin way back in 2012 and six years later we finally got him. Not only did the wait totally pay off, but the music made his quest even more epic. Especially when we got the classic Avengers theme back. Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Predator, Avengers) crafts an epic with strings, horns, and every combination that's associated with heroism. Like the movie itself the score is laced with dread slowly overtaking everything up until the final moments.
Favorite Track: The End Game - The emotion this brings is real and covers both the hopeful heroes with the inevitable oncoming storm.
9. Hell Fest
Hell Fest is an average movie. It has some cool visuals, the actors are likable and enthusiastic, but compared to the new generation of horror films that popped up over the last few years it can't compete. Ultimately, it's a fun primer for the Halloween season...that is until you listen to its score. Bear McCreary (10 Cloverfield Lane, The Walking Dead, Black Sails) did the score for the movie and it's absolutely gripping. He created an intangible atmosphere that's always stalking the characters, and he really made an effort to make the music its own character as it emphasizes the horror and creep factor ten fold. Other than the actors the music is the driving force of the movie and does most of the heavy lifting. The album also includes tracks from John Massari, Brendan McKian, and Crisis Couture that provide a fun, lighter tone.
Favorite Track: Theme - I almost went with Tears of the Demon, but ultimately I kept coming back to the epic main theme of the movie where it's eerie as mist, and yet heart pounding as a slasher. Perfectly encapsulates what Hell Fest is, and can be.
8. A Quiet Place
It's rare to have a movie with so little dialogue, but to have it be part of the plot is absolutely delightful. Not only does this mean that the actors have to really be on their game but it allows the composer to work on a unique canvas where they're the driving force of each scene, emphasizing the emotion and direction of the film. Marco Beltrami (Hellboy, The Hurt Locker, Snowpiercer) takes full advantage of this as he fills the quiet with a soft, nigh lullaby, that feels like innocence lost. It perfectly navigates between unsettling, absolute horrified danger with the soft worldview of children. Like hope personified barely grasping for life it'll keep you on the edge of your seat as emotional scenes where the actors are signing to the heart pounding, and breaking, action that reveal characters at their direst need.
Favorite Track: Labor Intensive - This was tough to pick, but this scene is absolutely terrifying and the music (a whopping 8 minute heart attack) does not let you go as it takes grip of your pulse again, and again, and again until the very end.
7. Tomb Raider
Similar to Hell Fest, Tomb Raider is a messy movie with promise that relies a lot on its score. Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, 300: Rise of an Empire, Deadpool) is known for working on action and superhero movies, preferring the larger than life stories these cinematic feats present. His music brings layers and dimensions to heroes and brings an unflinching epic-ness to the action sequences. All that applies to this remake as he carefully makes Lara's past gentle, hopeful, and a tad sinister while infusing those carefully laid themes with grandeur as she gets to the island and becomes the Tomb Raider.
Favorite Track: The Bag - a ridiculous, yet incredibly fun, sequence where Lara is being chased with men on bikes that is perfectly paired up with this raucous track that makes you insanely hyped for what's to come.
6. Ocean's 8
While this prequel/Sequel/Reboot(?) didn't knock socks off at the box office it sure provided a fun and glorious time at the cinema. Daniel Pemberton (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, All the Money in the World, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse) takes yet another stab at my heart as he perfectly matches what this movie is. Fun, big, and all types of cool. It's reminiscent of the past Ocean movies, but quickly takes on a vibe of its own. Each track makes you groove to its funky beat and fairly quickly you'll start to feel like you can pull off heists too.
Favorite Track: In Vogue - What's not to love in this? It's so playful, confident, and suave. It'll suck you into any scene with all the characters, and it's not afraid to show off.
5. Assassination Nation
What a movie. What a score. 2018 has truly given us a wide variety, but nothing can compete with the outrageously weird. Ian Hultquist (A-X-L, The Gospel According to Andre, Clinical) mixes his score with classic and bombastic sound. What starts off as pretty, and what could be the beginning of a fairy tale, quickly divulges into electric and raucous as each sound that comes up interrupts and disrupts the life of every character. It captures the disruption of life quite well while infusing character's wants and fantasies as opposing themes.
Favorite Track: The Shootout & Rage (TIE) - I really couldn't choose with this one. The Shootout is the best track that shows what Ian Hultquist can do with the score but Rage is actually my favorite even though that was done by Isabella Summers.
4. Halloween
The latest in franchise revivals. The Halloween franchise has always had iconic music, and when John Carpenter came back to do the score with his son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies...well let's just say I was overly enthusiastic. The score itself is fantastic and was my number one pick for a few months. It reimagines the classic quite well and brings it into the modern domain. The added bits on classic tracks are well done and the overall tone matches equally with the classic, if not better (okay, better in my mind). The music fuels the movie, and story, so much that I can't help but listen to it every week. It just pumps me up.
Favorite Track: Halloween Triumphant - No other track gets my blood pumping like this one. Aggressive, classic, and pushes into the new. If I didn't believe evil existed before then I certainly do after listening to this.
3. First Man
Similar to A Quiet Place, First Man has to deal with a character that doesn't talk much. A lot of his character actually happens inside himself because he's a withdrawn person. Justin Hurwitz (Whiplash, La La Land) teams up with director Damien Chazelle again for the third time to bring probably his best score out to play. Unlike most of the scores on this list the majority of First Man is subtle. Taking ques from the main character, the score as it's moments where it comes out like "Houston" but also likes to take the atmospheric approach with "Good Engineer." Together this score is truly the underdog of the entire film and holds it up on three floors of foundation.
Favorite Track: X-15 - The first thing you hear in the movie is this track as Neil Armstrong is bouncing through the atmosphere. It showcases who this character is, his inner struggles, and sets up the whole film beautifully with its oscillating sounds.
2. Searching
It's so cute~! For a movie about a computer screen the score is filled with emotion, playfulness, and the inevitable dread. Torin Borrowdale (The Midnight Man, The Flare) works wonders as he showcases his range in this diverse and incredibly uplifting score. It feels like it belongs in the internet age (given that the film takes solely place on computer screens) and he plays with that everywhere. Nothing is undermined as the unsettling parts of the story leak into the score. There's still a sense of hope, if only distorted.
Favorite Track: New User - Listen to this now!! It'll brighten up your day so much.
1. Game Night
Yeah, I know. Weird choice, right? Well, let me tell you it's a weird movie, and an even weirder score. Cliff Martinez (The Neon Demon, Hotel Artemis, The Foreigner) made the most memorable score for me last year...and it was in a comedy film. Now the film itself is a great comedy, if a bit tilted...if that makes sense. The music completely compliments it as it takes the opposite approach, strangely enough. If you listened to it without watching the movie it wouldn't sound like a comedy, more like a diseased rave? I haven't quite figured out what it sounds like because it's...I've never heard anything like this before. It mixes in actual game sounds, makes it electric and rave-y, and yet it's in its own world. Since it came out I've been listening to it every month and it has stuck with me and kept me interested in all it's unusual decisions, and so I just had to make it number 1 of 2018.
Favorite Track: I've Seen His Dick
Alright, phew that was a lot. I'm curious to hear what you thought about my picks. Now that you know my favorite scores of the last year let me hear yours~! Comment below or find me on social media.
