The film music world has been evolving in exciting ways over the last few years. Some composers have been blurring the lines between sound design and music to tremendous results, while others have found new, ambitious avenues in which to stretch. 2018 certainly wasn’t lacking for ambition or quality, and in putting together a list of the best film scores of the year, it became readily apparent that some truly great scores would be left out of the Top 10.
But alas, such is the nature of a Top 10 list—there’s a limited number of spots. I’ve done my best to craft a diverse range of scores that not only reflects the breadth of 2018, but also represents the cream of the crop. Behold, the best movie scores of 2018.
10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton
I first fell in love withDaniel Pemberton’s work on his truly inspired but also somewhat insane score forKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and his score forSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis so dense that I’m still trying to work out everything he packed in there. It’s a score befitting the film itself, diverse in tone and style, yet still part of a whole and not without its pitch-perfect emotional beats. It builds to a kaleidoscopic finale that goes hand-in-hand with the cutting edge visuals while also maintaining a thumping beat.
9. You Were Never Really Here – Jonny Greenwood
For his last film score,Phantom Thread, composerJonny Greenwoodcreated a lovely soundscape that felt like a warm embrace. ForYou Were Never Really Here, Greenwood manages to capture what it would sound like if your head was full of ants. That kind of range is nuts, and indeed while Greenwood’sYou Were Never Really Herescore is jarring and crowded, it perfectly encapsulates the headspace of the thriller’s PTSD-riddled lead character, played wonderfully byJoaquin Phoenix. Don’t get me wrong, this score isn’t ugly—there are pleasant sounds to be found throughout. But its complexity, especially in contrast toPhantom Thread, is part of what makes it so impressive.
8. Suspiria – Thom Yorke
And so we go from one member ofRadioheadto another.Thom Yorkemade his scoring debut withLuca Guadagnino’s haunting, immaculately craftedSuspiria, and it’s unsurprisingly a terrific piece of work. The film itself is patient and oddly alluring, and the same can be said of Yorke’s score, which feels downright supernatural at times. Putting his own voice over the score was a bold choice, but for a film that gets as weird asSuspiriadoes, it really puts a spell on you.
7. Mandy – Johann Johannsson
Jóhann Jóhannssonwas in the process of transforming what we traditionally thought of as film music when he unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. You could hear a progression fromSicariotoArrival, and you just knew Jóhannsson was on a trajectory that was leading somewhere exciting and new. Unfortunately we’ll never get to hear it, but the composer’s final piece of work—for the filmMandy—is yet another thrilling progression. It is, like the film, at times verymetal, but at heart there’s a sense of longing running throughout this score that, given the circumstances, makes it all the more heartbreaking.
6. A Quiet Place – Marco Beltrami
One of the most underrated scores of the year, I feel, isMarco Beltrami’s heartbreaking work onA Quiet Place. The smash hit horror film is surprisingly emotional, and there’s an undercurrent of sadness that runs throughout Belatrami’s dynamic score. It gets explosive when it needs to, and certainly helps build tension through the film’s terror-fueled scenes, but at heart this is a story about a family that has suffered a great loss, and that shines through in Beltrami’s quieter themes. The score as a whole is haunting and sad, but not without love. Which, of course, is the common denominator through all the hardship and loss that befalls this particular family.
5. Isle of Dogs – Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Desplatis certainly one of the most talented film composers working today, but every time he teams up with directorWes Andersonwe get something truly exceptional. That’s certainly true of Desplat’s score forIsle of Dogs, as he put together a Japanese-influenced score befitting of the future-set film. The percussive nature here is particularly delightful, and it’s truly unlike anything we’ve heard from Desplat before. And that’s saying something.
4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Lorne Balfe
Film music in blockbusters has becomeverysame-sounding, especially in the wake ofInception. A lot of these big, epic action films feel like they’re trying to mimicHans Zimmer’s iconic soundscape, and more often than not they result in forgettable imitations. Which is whyLorne Balfe’s work onMission: Impossible – Falloutfeels like a breath of fresh air. Balfe—who was mentored by Zimmer—plays with iconic themes from both theMission: Impossiblefilm franchise and the TV series in interesting ways, and this is the rare action film score that is equally memorable and compelling in both the quiet character-centric scenes and the big set pieces. This is no Hans Zimmer imitation. It’s an evolution.
3. Black Panther – Ludwig Goransson
Ludwig Göransson’s score forBlack Panthercontains multitudes, from the African-infused sounds of high royalty to genuine hip-hop beats. But of course that’s the point.Black Pantheris a story of contrast between the African-born T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who was born into privilege, and the African-American Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who was left to fight his way home after his father’s murder. That’s sometimes what makes the difference between a good film score and a great one—theBlack Pantherscore is not just pleasing to the ears, it’s thematically a part of a whole with the film, further serving directorRyan Coogler’s deeply thoughtful vision for a superhero movie about far more than just high-flung spectacle.
2. If Beale Street Could Talk – Nicholas Britell
The craftsmanship ofIf Beale Street Could Talkis on another level, and that certainly extends toNicholas Britell’s deeply romantic score. There’s an intense sense of longing, heartache, and pure, unconditional love that just radiates off of every note. It’s as warm as Britell’sMoonlightscore was cold. Not without its complexities as complications arise for the film’s central duo, but always underlining the depth of Tish and Fonny’s love.
1. First Man – Justin Hurwitz
Justin Hurwitz’s penchant for crafting unforgettable melodies continues withFirst Man, the best film score of the year. This is a film that is both a meditation on grief and a “man on a mission” movie about one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments. To that end, Hurwitz crafts themes of sadness and longing that perfectly accentuate Neil Armstrong’s emotional state, but healsocreates beautifully propulsive themes that hum right along with scenes concerning space travel. And on top of all that, the theremin of all instruments serves as the thematic backbone for much of the score. It’s an ambitious, challenging piece of work that stands right alongside Hurwitz’s Oscar-winning score forLa La Land.
Honorable Mentions:Game Night,The Old Man & the Gun,Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,Annihilation,The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,mid90s
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