The work of a film composer, if all goes according to plan, is meant to go unnoticed. A film’s score is meant to support the scenes and characters in an almost subconscious way, to move the audience without them knowing they’re being moved. Of course, great film scorescan’tgo unnoticed—they’re unforgettable. But oftentimes the work of a composer is undervalued. It’s a vital aspect of filmmaking, and one that can make all the difference between a scene connecting with an audience or not.
So, in the spirit of continuing Collider’s effort of highlightingall aspects of filmmaking, I’ve assembled a list of some of the best film composers working today. It includes both incredibly obvious veterans and up-and-comers with maybe only a couple of works under their belt, as each and every one of the composers highlighted here brings something special to the filmmaking community. So take a look (and listen) below.
Hans Zimmer
Notable Works:The Dark Knight,The Thin Red Line,Gladiator
Hans Zimmeris certainly one of the most well-known composers working today, but over the course of his three decades-plus career, he’s also proven to be one of the most versatile. He’s always had a soft spot for electronics, as heard in his early works likeDays of ThunderandTrue Romance, but he began branching out significantly, turning in incredible work onThe Lion King,Gladiator, and the unforgettableThe Thin Red Line—his theme for which is still used in movie trailers galore. He’s now become a close collaborator ofChristopher Nolan’s, churning out some truly experimental and exciting scores likeInceptionandThe Dark Knight, but he continues to surprise with diverse themes in films like12 Years a Slave,Sherlock Holmes, andKung Fu Panda. While there’s certainly a familiarity to someone as prolific as Zimmer, you never quite know what you’re going to get.
John Williams
Notable Works:Star Wars,Indiana Jones,Harry Potter
I mean, obviously.John Williamsis one of the greatest composers of all time. No one in history is responsible for more iconic themes than he, and I’m doubtful anyone will ever come close. Just oneStar WarsorIndiana Joneswould be enough to make somebody’s career, but Williams stacked them one on top of the other—E.T.,Superman,Jaws, evenHome Alone! One would think someone responsible for that many iconic works would eventually run out of steam, but Williams has consistently found room to play, be it his jazz-infusedCatch Me If You Canscore, his hauntingSchindler’s Listtheme, or his horror-infusedJurassic Parksoundtrack. He’s showing no signs of slowing down—“Rey’s Theme” inThe Force Awakensis terrific—and he’s now responsible for scoring the childhoods of multiple generations with his enduringHarry Pottertheme.
Steven Price
Notable Works:Gravity,The World’s End,Suicide Squad
Steven Pricehasn’t been on the scene for too long, but he’s certainly made a strong impression. His breakout was the one-two punch ofAttack the BlockandThe World’s End, both of which featured a pulsing score that accentuated the tension in each of the sci-fi films perfectly, and then he tackledAlfonso Cuaron’s wildly ambitiousGravityto Oscar-winning results. Recently he’s dipped his toe into blockbuster waters withSuicide Squadand brought a modern twist to the World War II filmFury, and his next collaboration withEdgar Wrighton the music-drivenBaby Driverpromises to be noteworthy.
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Notable Works:The Social Network,Gone Girl,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
When it was announced thatDavid Fincherwould be directing “the Facebook movie”The Social Network, there were plenty of WTF reactions. So it was only fitting that his choice of composer was a similarly head-scratching decision.Trent ReznorandAtticus RossofNine Inch Nailsfame were certainly accomplished musicians, but hadn’t been too familiar with the world of film scoring. That didn’t seem to matter, as their Oscar-winning work onThe Social Networksolidified them as incredible (and incredibly exciting) new composers on the scene. Their icy tracks forThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoodrove home the harsh landscape of Fincher’s bestseller adaptation, and their work onGone Girltranscends simple music cues to become something downright funny. Indeed, their work onGone Girlmirrors the dichotomy aspect of the story with a gooey, romantic score for the film’s first half followed by a dark, violent twist. While not prolific, every time Reznor and Ross agree to score a film is reason to celebrate.
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Notable Works:Sicario,The Theory of Everything,Arrival
How often do you listen to music that literally frightens you? That’s Icelandic composerJóhann Jóhannsson’s score for theDenis VilleneuvedramaSicario. It’s a film about many things—about how America responds to violence abroad, about foreign policy, about what it means to be a woman in a man’s world—and Jóhannsson’s work further bolsters the effectiveness of Villeneueve’s direction (andRoger Deakins’s cinematography) with a score that genuinely haunts you as you sit there in the darkened theater. And it’s not a one-off! Jóhannsson has also proved adept at lighter emotions, like his beautiful piano-driven score forThe Theory of Everything. His reunion with Villeneuve for the sci-fi dramaArrivalis just as fantastic as you’d expect, and he makes his blockbuster debut on Villeneuve’s sequelBlade Runner 2049.
Bear McCreary
Notable Works:10 Cloverfield Lane,Battlestar Galactica,The Walking Dead
Bear McCrearyfirst made a name for himself on television, with his introduction to many coming with the unforgettable opening titles toBattlestar Galactica. Since then, he’s taken on a moniker akin to theJ.J. Abramsof television, composing the scores for various smash hit shows likeThe Walking Dead,Outlander, andAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.But his feature film work took a massive leap forward with 2016’s10 Cloverfield Lane. His work on the contained thriller is not just great for the genre, or great for 2016—it’s one of the best scores of the last few years. There’s a strong nod to the work ofBernard Hermannhere, in keeping with the Hitchcockian tone of the film itself, but it stands on its own as a truly unique and refreshing piece of work. While McCreary’s TV duties no doubt keep him busy, here’s hoping he keeps one foot firmly planted in the feature film world.
Howard Shore
Notable Works:The Lord of the Rings,The Silence of the Lambs,Spotlight
Howard Shorehad already established himself as an incredible composer before his iconic work on theLord of the Ringstrilogy with haunting scores likeSe7enandThe Silence of The Lambs, but his iconic soundtrack for theLord of the Ringsfilms is something else. Fantasy only works if the atmosphere is wholly complete, and the themes Shore crafted forLord of the Ringsare as integral to the story as the cinematography and acting. It’s a landmark achievement (even ifThe Hobbittrilogy as a whole is lacking, Shore’s work is solid), and it’s even more impressive when you look at what Shore didafterthat franchise.The Departed,Hugo,Twilight—the guy is versatile, and he’s still churning out stunning work like his minimal yet affecting score for the most recent Best Picture winner,Spotlight.
Danny Elfman
Notable Works:Beetlejuice,Edward Scissorhands,Good Will Hunting
Not unlikeDavid FincherconvincingTrent ReznorandAtticus Rossto try their hand at film composing, filmmakerTim BurtonwooedOingo BoingomusicianDanny Elfmanto the feature film world withPee-wee’s Big Adventureand right out of the gate, Elfman established himself as a unique voice. His collaborations with Burton have been incredibly fruitful, from the devilish playfulness ofBeetlejuiceto the emotionalEdward Scissorhandsto the downright excitingBatmanandBatman Returns. But his work apart from Burton, on films as varied asSpider-ManandMilk, is mighty exciting as well. Some of his signature touches have certainly been toned down in the past decade or so, but he’s still an exciting and unique voice.
Alexandre Desplat
Notable Works:The Grand Budapest Hotel,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,Godzilla
French composerAlexandre Desplatthreatened to become the most prolific composer in the shortest amount of time with a flurry of works over the past five years, and the only thing more impressive than the volume of Desplat scores is the quality. He has a way of tackling orchestral scores from unique points of view that makes them really stand out, be it his work on theDeathly Hallowsfilms of theHarry Potterfranchise or the playfulness ofThe Secret Life of Pets. His prestige drama work is tremendous—fromThe King’s SpeechtoPhilomenatoThe Danish Girl—but he’s capable of switching things up significantly to suit his director. His collaborations withWes AndersononFantastic Mr. Fox,Moonrise Kingdom, andGrand Budapest Hotelare remarkably distinct, and he matched the wistful tone ofDavid Fincher’sThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonperfectly. One of his standout works is onGareth Edwards’ unique blockbusterGodzilla, and it’s a testament to his versatility that he’s capable of churning out something of such high quality for that film, then turning right around and tacklingThe Imitation Gamewith similar aplomb.
Carter Burwell
Notable Works:Fargo,Carol,In Bruges
While many composers have distinct voices, it’s hard to mistake aCarter Burwellscore. His work with theCoen Brothersis particularly striking (I mean, thatFargotheme), but throughout films as varied asKinsey,In Bruges, andTwilighthis solitary piano is unmistakable. There’s an intimacy to Burwell’s work that suits particular films extremely well, and no one does lonely quite as well as Carter Burwell. Of course, he’s nowhere near burning out, as his score for 2015’sCarolis absolutely one of his best works yet. What other treasures lay on the horizon? We’ll surely find out.
