For this latest instalment of our film soundtracks series, we have picked some of our most beloved soundtracks from the 2010s. In many cases, the films are every bit as iconic as the scores, either winning or being nominated for various global awards. There are many more we could have included; these are simply some of our favourites rather than an exhaustive list.
Inception, 2010 (Hans Zimmer)
Inception was not the first time Christopher Nolan worked with Hans Zimmer, the pair having already collaborated on the Dark Knight movies. But a film about a corporate espionage specialist (Leonardo di Caprio) who can enter people’s dreams when they’re asleep obviously called for something different. Being no stranger to creative challenges, Zimmer stepped up with a potent combination of orchestral elements and electronic textures that nod to the movie’s mind-bending themes of time, memory and consciousness. The best-known motif on the soundtrack is the slowed down and processed horns of Édith Piaf’s "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", which underscores the notion of time possessing a different dimension in our dreams. The rest alternates between gently bubbling or darkly murmuring electronic synths, grand cinematic orchestral flourishes and tribal drums—with Smiths/Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr even making a guest appearance.
Tron: Legacy, 2010 (Daft Punk)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this highly anticipated Tron film required something very specific as a soundtrack, namely a blend of relatably human elements with a cold, sci-fi aesthetic that mirrored the cyber grid. It was a genius move to recruit French duo Daft Punk—Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo—for the task, famed as they are for their string of pioneering electronic dance hits and their seminal 1997 debut album Homework. Setting their signature style of electronica alongside an 85 piece orchestra proved to be inspired, as the film and music move through a rollercoaster of sawing strings, billowing brass and futuristic ambient segments, providing the audience with potent high-energy highlights such as "Derezzed".
The Adventures of Tintin, 2011 (John Williams)
This Steven Spielberg classic was soundtracked by none other than the mighty John Williams. While not as high profile as his work on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T. and the many other legendary movies he has scored, Williams’ work here is as vibrant and energetic as ever, conjuring up an enjoyably whimsical and adventurous score to accompany Tintin’s non-stop adventures. Using a full symphony orchestra, the compositions swing and seesaw between bold brass and gentle woodwind, soaring strings and swashbuckling percussion. It’s joyously light for the most part but can also become suddenly intense and dramatic, with special themes created for Snowy (the dog), Captain Haddock and Red Rackham. Incidentally the film was co-produced by Peter Jackson and is Spielberg’s first animated film.
Gravity, 2013 (Steven Price)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón with a score by British composer Steven Price, this sci-fi classic is characterised by some fairly big themes, namely the concepts of isolation and survival within the terrifying vastness of outer space. Having been nominated for several Oscars (Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing), Price’s soundtrack more than rose to the occasion, creating a highly original universe from an ingenious and minimalist mix of orchestral arrangements and electronic sounds. Following the lead of the deliberately slow-paced film as it shifts between awe and terror, we are exposed to anxiety-inducing brass and throbbing synths, frightening cacophonies, as well as hauntingly celestial passages, while the film itself also boasts some exquisite use of silence—a nod to the fact that sound cannot travel in space. An epic sonic journey, albeit not exactly mainstream.
Interstellar, 2014 (Hans Zimmer)
Hot on the heels of their successful collaboration with Inception, Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer got back together again for this sci-fi blockbuster, which follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new home for mankind. Zimmer draws on a blend of traditional orchestral sounds, twinkling electronics and the unusual but canny choice of the organ as a dominant instrument to balance both the infinity and isolation of space and the human aspects of the story. Many of the compositions are deliberately understated and can even feel windswept and desolate, while others give a real sense of wonder and hope.
The Revenant, 2015 (Ryuichi Sakamoto / alva noto)
The music for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant was composed by Japanese maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto and alva noto, a German artist known for his experimental electronica. It was an inspired choice for a film with so much brutality—it’s about the raiding of Native American land in the early 1800s—since the resultant mix of minimal orchestration and innovative sound design captures both the film’s harsh, natural setting and the brutal intensity of the story. By turns dissonant and emotive, it uses deep drones and throbbing bass to awaken a sense of dread and reflective piano and string-led passages for the quieter parts of the film. A masterful exercise in how to employ restraint effectively.
Sicario, 2015 (Jóhann Jóhannsson)
This Denis Villeneuve movie about the complex nature of the U.S.-Mexico border conflict isn’t for the faint-hearted, and as such. it required an equally unflinching and complex score. Enter Jóhann Jóhannsson, who effortlessly turned his prodigious compositional skills towards the stark, the menacing and the disturbing. Using both traditional orchestration (albeit heavily processed and at the darker end of things) and electronic textures, the music is sparse and occasionally industrial, often relying on low-frequencies, drones and pulsating rhythms that resemble heartbeats, to create an almost constant state of tension that mirrors the world of macabre drug war violence. Melodies are kept to a minimum, although there are brief moments of relief with sweeter compositions such as Desert Music.
Phantom Thread, 2017 (Jonny Greenwood)
The Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood partnership has created some incredibly memorable soundtracks, including There Will Be Blood (arguably the best), Inherent Vice—and the wonderfully rich music that Greenwood created for this period piece about obsession and power starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Composed primarily for strings that are played by the London Contemporary Orchestra (no strangers to film music, including Anderson’s), it’s a much more straightforward and luxurious affair than many of Greenwood’s other forays into cinematic music. But he once again does a seamless job of creating the perfect amount of both feverish tension and silky beauty, with subtle sonic dissonance and waltzing rhythmic complexity along the way.
McQueen, 2018 (Michael Nyman)
This 2018 documentary about famous fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen was made by Ian Bonhöte and Peter Ettedgui, and traces the man’s dramatic and tragic life. Although he became chief designer for Givenchy as well as head of his own labels, and won many honours and awards, McQueen was tragically prone to manic-depression and wound up ending his own life. Nyman was the obvious choice for the score given McQueen was an outspoken fan of his music and regularly listened to it while working and designing. The soundtrack is essentially a curated compilation from Nyman’s vast discography on MN Records, but also includes “Dealing for the Sarabande”, which was commissioned by McQueen in 2006 for his "Widows of Culloden" show, but was never used.
Ad Astra, 2019 (Max Richter)
Another futuristic sci-fi thriller to round out the decade, this time directed by James Gray and starring Brad Pitt as an astronaut travelling to the outer edges of the solar system. Max Richter’s score here is impressively ambitious, bringing together strings, electronics and vocals across 29 tracks to create something genuinely epic. With several contributions from Lorne Balfe and one by Nils Frahm, processed sounds originally transmitted from Voyager 1 and 2, as well as choral writing, ethereal harps and a Moog System 55, the soundtrack conveys both the alien, detached and fragile nature of space as well as the film’s portrayal of a father-son relationship.