The Best Movie Soundtracks

Two things I love are watching movies and listening to music. So I guess it makes sense that I really love listening to motion picture soundtracks, and I really appreciate composers that understand how to convey the emotion of a film through the score. Lately I've been on a big soundtrack kick, listening to music from all kinds of movies. I decided to compile a short list of what I would consider to be some of the best soundtracks that I've heard. For the purposes of this list, I am looking at how much the music elevates the film overall. For example, I love the Inception soundtrack but I don't feel that it makes the movie significantly better. Inception is already an amazing film, regardless of the score. So here is my list, complete with a short blurb explaining what it is about each soundtrack that makes its respective film that much more of an experience.

Interstellar
Composer: Hans Zimmer

I love Hans Zimmer as a composer, but his soundtrack for Interstellar exceeded all my expectations. This film is already a solid motion picture, but the music turns it into a cinematic experience. Its soundtrack is essentially the pulse of Interstellar, deftly manipulating between emotional melodies and volcanic explosions of sound, punctuated by interludes that mimic the empty vastness of space. It is the composing abilities of Hans Zimmer that transform this film into something very special.

Requiem For A Dream
Composer: Clint Mansell

Requiem For A Dream gets a lot of hype surrounding its dark and disturbing nature, unflinchingly depicting the downward spiral of addiction. But what should really be highlighted about this film is the soundtrack. Clint Mansell does an incredible job, producing a score that seesaws between the highs and lows of the characters. The perpetual pattern between raving club music and the film's signature devastating melody creates a jarring sound that makes this film's disturbing visuals that much more intense.

It Follows
Composer: Disasterpeace

In my opinion It Follows is an incredibly underrated movie, and by far what I love about it most is the soundtrack. What makes this horror film so unnerving is the music. Disasterpeace somehow manages to capture every aspect of It Follows in the score, creating incredibly eerie acoustics complete with a distinct 80's vibe. To top it all off, the vehement volume of the soundtrack adds a lot to the disturbing feel of the film.

Ex Machina
Composers: Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow

Subtle is perhaps the best way to describe the soundtrack of Ex Machina. I honestly didn't pay much attention to the music the first time I viewed it, but after re-watching this film I was surprised by how much the score bolstered the plot. The composers create a steady, futuristic-sounding rhythm that becomes the backbone of Ex Machina. Both soothing and unnerving at the same time, this contradictory score is truly what brings this film to life.

Oblivion
Composer: M83

As a longtime fan of musician M83, I was very excited to go see Oblivion when it was released. Although this film wasn't anything spectacular in most aspects, the music was truly incredible. M83 made Oblivion into a far superior film than it actually was. There's an undeniable otherworldly feeling that the score evokes, which fits perfectly with the apocalyptic setting of Oblivion. All of the emotion that this film delivers is amplified by its soundtrack, and it's one that I can listen to time and time again.

TV Series Review: 13 Reasons Why

Netflix's newly released series 13 Reasons Why, based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, is certainly getting its fair share of hype. Despite disliking the book when I read it several years ago, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give the show a watch to see if it would deliver the galvanizing drama that it promised. Upon finishing the first season of 13 Reasons Why several days ago, I wanted to share all of my thoughts and opinions about it here on my blog.
13 Reasons Why introduces the character of Clay, a high school student who is grappling with the recent suicide of his co-worker and classmate Hannah Baker. One day, he finds a box of tapes sitting outside his front door. Upon listening to them, Clay realizes that Hannah recorded them right before her suicide, outlining thirteen reasons why she killed herself and the people directly involved. As the show progresses, it becomes clear that there is much more to Hannah's suicide than anyone initially realized.
What really caught my attention while watching 13 Reasons Why is how unabashed the creators were depicting the myriad intense topics that this show addresses. I really appreciate how nothing was censored simply because this show is based on a young adult novel. Time and time again, screenwriters tend to get scared when dealing with teenage issues on camera. The most gritty elements are glossed over or often completely omitted simply for the sake of having a safer rating. 13 Reasons Why clearly brakes away from this, with its TV-MA rating as its stamp of approval. Although my feelings on the acting in 13 Reasons Why are mixed, there are some standout performances. I especially want to give praise to Alisha Boe and Miles Heizer, who played Jessica and Alex respectively. Justin Prentice perhaps deserves the greatest credit for his very believable portrayal of Bryce. The fact that I found his character to be detestable is a credit to how well Prentice's acting is in this show. A final point I want to make in support of 13 Reasons Why is just how great its soundtrack is. I was introduced to several new songs, and the creators of the show did a praiseworthy job of supporting each episode with music that always seemed to fit perfectly with the events of the storyline.
I do have several critiques of 13 Reasons Why though, with two main issues at the forefront. The first is involving the casting choices of Hannah Baker and her mother. There was a disconnect between Katherine Langford and her portrayal of Hannah Baker; I never felt like she truly got into the skin of Hannah. Because of this I wasn't able to develop any sort of emotional connection to Hannah throughout the entirety of the show. I also disliked Kate Walsh's portrayal of Olivia Baker, Hannah's mother. It seemed at times like she was overacting her grief, rendering her character nearly unbelievable. The other negative element of 13 Reasons Why is its writing, particularly with the lead character Clay. I found him to be the most uninteresting character of the entire show, and this ultimately created a somewhat dull storyline at certain points. This may partly be a fault of the book, but regardless it was a facet of 13 Reasons Why that I took notice of.
In conclusion, Netflix's 13 Reasons Why is a show that is not afraid to shine a light on many of the issues that plague our society, especially among young adults. For this I will give it a standing ovation. It's the delivery where things are a bit lacking. Between the stale lead character of Clay and my apathy towards Hannah, this show is rendered into a teen drama that doesn't particularly stand out from the numerous other shows available. If you're still on the fence about watching it or not, I would recommend at least giving the pilot episode a try. Even if it doesn't become your favorite TV show of all time, 13 Reasons Why certainly does a solid job of delivering a drama-packed mystery that is great to binge-watch.
Rating: TV-MA

Genre: Drama/Mystery

Seasons/Episodes: 1/13

Release Date: March 31, 2017

My Rating: ★★★☆☆