In Praise of Sci-Fi Soundtracks

Whenever you see those lists of top movie soundtracks, somehow sci-fi films always seem to be underrepresented. This is surprising when you consider just how many of John Williams’ soundtrack masterpieces were tied to great sci-fi, but even more surprising is how most modern movies get ignored entirely. Considering the massive amount of effort that is put into choosing exactly the right music for cinematic moments, and how the technology of film sound keeps moving forward by leaps and bounds, it’s time to take another look at three sci-fi movie soundtracks that should be getting more attention than they are.

Donnie Darko

There are two different discs bearing the Donnie Darko name; one is the soundtrack, with songs from 1980s artists like INXS and Joy Division, and one is Michael Andrews’ score, with haunting piano and orchestral melodies that transport you instantly back into the dark and mood of the film. While it’s not necessarily recommended to listen to both collections together, they certainly each have their own merits, and somehow in the context of the movie the mix simply works.

Avatar

So much hype centered around the 3D effects and overall visual impact of Avatar, that James Horner’s spectacular score got a much lower level of attention than it deserved. The music took a back seat to the stellar acting performances and CGI, but it was those moments when everything came together that the magic really started to happen. While there’s a lot to be said for the more majestic scenes with big visual reveals, it’s the exciting fast-paced scenes where the music really shines.

Splice

Vincenzo Natali’s Splice certainly left audiences divided, but regardless of what you think of the movie, there’s no denying that Cyrille Aufort’s soundtrack is something special. The music fits with the tone of the story in a remarkably precise way, without detracting from the action or manipulating the audience. This is pretty rare in modern movies, and Aufort is certainly to be applauded for it.

Vanilla Sky

Something about the song choices on the Vanilla Sky soundtrack went so perfectly with the movie that even more than a decade later, I can’t hear Radiohead’s “Everything in It’s Right Place” without seeing a mental image of Tom Cruise getting out of bed and starting his day. There’s not a single bad song on this album; although I actually prefer the original Abre los Ojos to the Hollywood version, the Vanilla Sky soundtrack wins hands down.

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