In times of isolation, films offer a great escape. Here is some recommended viewing for your long weekend — amazing films with unforgettable scores.
We've listed Koyaanisqatsi (Philip Glass), Akira (Geinoh Yamashirogumi), Uncut Gems (Oneohtrix Point Never), Monos (Mica Levi) & Mandy (Jóhann Jóhannsson). Find the overview below.
Uncut Gems 2019
Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems, featuring Adam Sandler as a rushed jewelry trader making loose ends meet, proved a nervewrecking ride -- and not in the least due to Daniel Lopotin's (Oneohtrix Point Never) electrifying, Moog-based score. Uncut Gems is available for streaming over at Netflix, and you can watch Lopatin break down this score in this Behind The Soundtrack mini documentary.
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Akira (1988)
Anime film Akira is been a cyberpunk cult hit, and rightfully so. Set in a beautifully styled Neo-Tokyo just shortly after World War III, it features young bikers finding supernatural psychic powers and their fight against the state. Its score is just as captiviating — a percussive trip drawing heavily from Indonesian gamelan and traditional Japanse drama music.
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Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
With the score as much central to the experience as the bewildering shots of the world as inhabited by humans, Koyaanisqatsi:Life Out of Balance is an enticing comment on the collision between technology and the environment. The experimental documentary by Godfrey Reggio features a stellar score composed by Philip Glass, find it over at Apple.
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Monos (2019)
Featuring gripping yet intricate, emotive soundscapes building up to more intense electronics, Mica Levi's score for Monos was one of our favourites last year. As it follows a group of teenagers-turned-soldiers into the jungle and into deepening problems, the soundtrack fits seamlessly with the film's powerful cinematography. It's available to rent over at Google Play.
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Mandy (2018)
A psychedelic and crushingly violent quest into the woods featuring Nicolas Cage is as wild as it sounds, especially paired with a score full of jarring percussion, mournful synths and gloomy guitars by Jóhann Jóhannsson — his last work before the Icelandic composer sadly passed away. Watch Panos Cosmatos' Mandy over at Apple.
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