Since its inception cinema has primarily been a visual medium, however, it is impossible to neglect the significance of music within motion pictures. Unfortunately, some great musical compositions are missed by the general audience due to mixed critical opinions of a film, obscure releases, or because other elements overshadow it. Listed below are soundtracks released in the last three years that were never nominated for an Oscar for best Original Score and did not receive the recognition I think they deserved. That being said, if you are not already familiar with the works of renowned masters like John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Michael Giacchino, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore you should definitely check out their work as well.
Ex Machina
This contemplative sci-fi thriller is the directorial debut of Alex Garland, the screenwriter known for penning the scripts to 28 Days Later… and Sunshine. The writing and visual effects received their due laudations, but Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow’s Score deserves equal credit. Tenuous and hypnotic, the rising synths provide a felicitous tone to this intelligent debut.
Inside Llewyn Davis
Researched enough for Folk fanatics and pleasing enough for newbies to the genre, Inside Llewyn Davis’ music boasts the multifarious talents of Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, Marcus Mumford and the Punch Brothers. Even more impressive, almost all of the music in the film is performed live by the actors (a fact reflected in the movie’s Academy Award for best Sound Editing). Melancholy, tender and beautifully crafted, T Bone Burnett’s production here is not to be missed.
Mad Max: Fury Road
One of the most critically acclaimed films (if the not the most acclaimed) of 2015 was George Miller’s raw, post-apocalyptic action flick. Garnering 10 Academy Award Nominations, the editing and visual design received most of the praise. But audiences would be remiss to forget Junkie XL’s blood-pumping adrenaline shot of a Score. Overblown, epic and seething with aggression, this music perfectly complements the insanity of George Miller’s vision.
Only God Forgives
Criticized for its stylized violence and sluggish pacing, Only God Forgives has split audiences in half, with some calling it a nightmarish masterpiece and others deploring it as lurid trash. Regardless of it themes and story, most can agree that Cliff Martinez’s gothic, lugubrious soundtrack is a high point for the film. Having already crafted a bubbly, dreamlike Score for Drive (made by the same director, Nicolas Winding Refn), Martinez capitalizes on Only God Forgives’ emphasis for tone and mood to deliver a truly haunting composition.
Under the Skin
Bizarre and original, this film inhabits the oblique point of view of an alien learning to feel empathy (by my interpretation at least; one of the many advantages of this film is its openness to analysis). Aiding this quality of otherworldliness is Mica Levi’s oddly affecting soundtrack. Creepy and detached, it is a work of art unto itself.
