Films are far more than a script and a camera. Numerous elements go into the making of a movie: screenplay, sound design, casting, cinematography, and so much more. But there’s one element to filmmaking that seldom gets the attention it deserves: the film soundtrack.
Done poorly, a film soundtrack can ruin a film experience; done well, it can elevate a run-of-the-mill story into an unforgettable watch. Soundtracks should do more than merely provide background noise. At their best, they elevate the drama, maximize tension, and envelop the audience in a dense atmosphere.
But what separates the good soundtracks from the great is that sense of replayability: the desire to play the music over and over, even when the film isn’t on. This year, we’ve been blessed with numerous fantastic soundtracks, and in this list, you will find the very best of 2024.
5. Junkie XL – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
After nine years, we finally have the next installment in the Mad Max franchise. A desolate world full of featureless dunes, pale-faced warlords, and endless violence, the soundtrack by Junkie XL is the perfect fit for such a harrowing setting. All the filth and blood captured on screen is expertly translated into musical form, making for an uncompromisingly brutal score.
Some tracks are quiet and spacious, evoking the same unsettling silence of the open, lifeless desert. A fantastic example is the opening tune, “The Pole of Inaccessibility”. The blare of a horn kicks the song off, followed by the ear-shattering roar of a dirty engine. An eerie passage of woodwind instruments follows, floating in the silence, ebbing in and out of earshot before fading into nothing. In just two minutes, XL encapsulates all the dread, fear, and tension of the Mad Max world.
However, subtle ambiance is not all the film soundtrack has to offer. During fast-paced action scenes, XL scraps the atmospheric approach to bombard the audience with a cacophony of intense noise. “The Darkest of Gods” marks the tense apex of Furiosa. While an orchestra of strings rises, a thunder of drums crashes, all while backing vocalists scream through the haze.
4. GG Fearn – Scopophobia
Written for the Welsh horror of the same name, Scopophobia is an enchanting dark pop album mixing elements of head-bopping electronica with foreboding horrorcore imagery. The sound of the LP moves back and forth from upbeat to despairing, with the tone shift symbolizing the constant uncertainty between feeling safe and endangered.
The soundtrack begins with “Deal with the Devil”. Fearn sings about losing her soul to Satan, performing over a chirpy bedroom pop beat. The grim storyline is juxtaposed by Fearn’s light, impassioned vocals, deceiving the listener much in the same way that poor souls are misled by the Devil, believing things are better than they truly are.
Across its nine tracks, Scopophobia explores every avenue of pop music. “Ain’t Up for Debate” is a subdued journey into dance, wherein the driving melody contrasts Fearn’s faint, sinister performance. “Teen Queen” sees Fearn dive into synthpop, chanting over a punching frenzy of synthesizers. What elevates the soundtrack to one of the best of 2024 is its sense of purpose and cohesion. Every instrument feels deliberate; every mix, however hazy, feels purposeful. What on the surface sounds like a feel-good pop album has a dark, nightmarish underbelly, with GG Fearn capturing all the unease of a great horror.
3. Various Artists – I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow is an alternative music fan’s dream. Rather than having one artist drive the vision of the soundtrack, A24 brought together a plethora of talented minds to add their own ideas to the score. The end product is an eclectic blend of pop, indie, and rock, where every artist delivers.
Despite a range of unrelated artists creating the album, the soundtrack flows beautifully. Intimate instrumental cuts fade seamlessly into guitar-driven indie tunes. From Caroline Polachek’s abstract poetry to Maria BC’s tranquil ambiance, no two songs sound alike, but everyone is a highlight. The soundtrack embodies a soft, inviting atmosphere that envelops the listener in a realm of vibrance and serenity.
2. Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
Since the late 1980s, Hans Zimmer has been synonymous with film soundtracks. When Zimmer is involved, a phenomenal score is guaranteed, and Dune: Part Two is no exception. Vast worlds, epic battles, and cinematic spectacles define the Dune franchise. The score by Zimmer does more than complement the film experience; it completes it.
The greatest highlight from the score is “Worm Ride” — an astonishing piece in every regard. After a patient build of tribal percussion and hazy noise, the otherworldly vocals interrupt the quiet, followed by an eruption of emphatic horns and meandering synths. The music is as dense and intricate as the visuals on screen, amplifying the drama by turning one of the film’s most impactful moments into an unforgettable scene. Moreover, Zimmer’s fusion of tribal sounds with alien vocals and synths gives the music a distinctly otherworldly feeling, transporting the viewer into another place and completely immersing them in the world of Dune.
1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Challengers
Without a doubt, Challengers is the best film soundtrack of 2024. The music does more than supply a catchy background noise for each scene; it drives the plot, embellishes the symbolism, and enriches the overall experience. Musical motifs echo from one scene to another, linking plot threads in subtle ways and tying together the whole film as a masterpiece in sound and direction.
The opening track, “Challengers”, is a clear contender for Song of the Year. Every few seconds, new elements fade in, building a dense wall of electronic sound to capture the ever-expanding intensity of the tennis match at the core of the story. However, the title track is just one of many phenomenal highlights. “Final Set” is a mesmerizing fusion of the acoustic and electronic, pairing a somber piano melody with throbbing synth bass. “Brutalizer” presents an overwhelming flood of synths and percussion, growing faster with every second.
Although the writing is phenomenal and the performances are stellar, the score is what makes Challengers so special. The techno-driven mayhem always feels purposeful, adding drama and nuance to every scene. Even beyond the screen, however, the music is catchy enough to play on a loop for hours. A brilliant album on its own and a fantastic accompaniment to the film, Challengers is the king of 2024 film soundtracks.
