I'm thinking of movies that aren't exactly known for their original scores but stand out when given a closer listen.
For me, Chris Bacon's score for Source Code comes to mind. It's bigger and more memorable than I'd expect from a mid-budget sci-fi thriller.
What other movies have surprisingly good scores?
Michael Giacchino is basically God
I’m not sure if this counts because it’s legitimately a great film and nobody would expect anything less from Zimmer, but The Rock. A Michael Bay action flick about a scientist and an ex-con breaking into Alcatraz doesn’t really have any business having a score that good, but we’re all thankful for it.
Recently? Tenet, Frozen, Sicario, The Way, Bladerunner 2049...off the top of my head. I LOVED the Tenet soundtrack!
Edit: How could I have forgotten the STELLAR soundtrack (and score) behind James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021)?
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Fried Green Tomatoes
Blade
It Follows
Love this answer.
It's not technically a movie, but the miniseries Children of Dune had a surprisingly great soundtrack. Brian Tyler is one pf those composers who never stands out, but he was definitely not phoning it in with COD.
I never actually watched the full series, but I was given the soundtrack by a friend, and I ended up using several of the tracks for my editing assignments in film school.
- Tron: Legacy: "Oh, Daft Punk is making a movie score? Lmao wtf" and then we got one of the coolest electronic scores ever
- Oblivion: same thing. Basically nobody expected anything special, and BOOM!, amazing stuff, works wonders with the landscapes vibes
- Interstellar: obviously Nolan always had a solid taste for score and a full understanding of how important score is to elevate a movie, but how could expect that kind of sound? Especially considering the last few Zimmer bombastic scores from like 2010 to 2013?
- The Kung fu panda trilogy. Applies to every single aspect of those movies really. Some of my favorite movies ever (first two. 3 is amazing too but not as good) and an immaculate score, full of awesomeness (hehe) and so, so, so much emotion. The last minute of "My fist hungers for justice" still drives me to tears after 11 years
- The village: considering Sixth sense and Signs both had spectacular scores, it was expected. First time I watched the movie I didn't really like it, but the score was key to understanding what Shyamalan was aiming for. It's literally my favorite score EVER. I don't think a single other score is so hauntingly gorgeous. The violin solo in "The vote" is magic to me, can't grasp how someone could ever play so perfectly such high notes. It's magic.
- Les choristes (The chorus): oh, so this is a french movie about a children's choir in the 1940s? Ok, fine. Wonderful songs and a splendid orchestral score too. Also contains one of my favorite samples ever. "Les partitions" is sampled in "L'impasse" by Kery James, a french rapper
- No time to die: the way Billie Eilish's theme's melody is also the love theme. It's simple stuff, but it's been haunting me ever since I saw the movie. Every time it plays the emotions hit me like a freaking spaceship
- Prisoners: HOW
- Leigh Whannell's The invisible man: "Denouement". I'm running out of superlatives, this ending was wonderful. Such a fantastic movie, such a good premise. It's just so good
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix + the second album "Xperiments from Dark Phoenix": it's repetitive and I absolutely love it for that, it slaps so hard
Nice. He just worked with Danny Elfman on Netflix's Wednesday.
I'm going with Cold Mountain, Gabriel Yared, thrice nominated, won for The English Patient.
Pearl Harbour, Hans Zimmer did a grand job for such a horrendous movie
Kick-Ass.
Ravenous.
Almost Human directed by Umberto Lenzi.
The Replacements being a good movie also has a good soundtrack.
Smile. An original horror soundtrack that makes me feel uncomfortable in the best way.
The BVS score by Zimmer and Junkie XL is legitimately excellent. I didn't hate the movie like some, but the score is definitely the best done part.
Transformers by Michael Bay. From "Arrival to Earth", to "No Sacrifice, No Victory" to "The All-Spark" there are so many classic tracks, that the movie went from a pretty cool sci-fi action movie to one of the most enjoyable movie going experiences ever.
EDIT: forgot to credit Steve Jablonsky...the genius behind Sentinel Prime from Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Mousehunt
Cool Hand Luke
I was pleasantly surprised by the soundtrack of Paranorman.
Snow Falling on Cedars
Star Trek 1 & 2 both have excellent scores imho.
Basil Poledouris for Starship Troopers
Superbad
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The music in Fargo, especially the intro, sets the mood perfectly.
And you know, Jose Feliciano, you got no complaints.
: timidly steps up to microphone, taps it once to make sure it’s on :
Tron: Legacy is the correct answer. Thank you.
Amazing Spider-Man 2 is one I dig, especially the Electro stuff , Zimmer is going with some dub steppy/ industrial stuff and I liked it.
The original Mortal Kombat. Wtf that score is idk, but it's glorious.
Alita: Battle Angel. Tom Holkenborg's best work. Very memorable and impactful. I can visualize the scenes for every track and the emotional impact the score had on it.
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Van Helsing (2002). Alan Silvestri composing
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Not scores but soundtracks…
Grosse Pointe Blank
500 Days of Summer
Donnie Darko
After_Hovercraft7822 t1_iy6vcc3 wrote
The Batman surprised me.
It’s the same simple melody over and over, but the way it changes throughout the story to have different moods is great. From the simple, brooding single piano key, to the big explosive full orchestral sound.