Another year of movies has come and gone, and 2019 gave us some of the best films of the decade. Not only in terms of storytelling in a visual medium but also in terms of musical scores.
In a year filled with such fantastic movies, we at Full Circle have compiled a list of some of the best scores of 2019. We even had our most talented, amazing, all-around great critic Ernesto Valenzuela to curate a playlist of the best musical tracks from the best films of the year. Here are our top ten:
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker
Being John Williams last score for a Star Wars film, there was no way this wouldn’t make the list. It is filled with tracks new and old, a celebration of the musical journey of Williams in Star Wars. From the opening fanfare to tracks like The Rise of Skywalker, this final installment in John Williams work on the Skywalker saga is as epic as it is melancholic.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Michael Giacchino returns to the MCU yet again with a whole new set of tracks for the web-slinger. His strong and triumphant theme for Spider-Man is prevalent throughout the score. But no track does it justice like the track Swinging Set does. The track is a celebration of Spider-Man, and comes at a moment in the film where it is something of a victory lap for the wall-crawler.
Us
Michael Abels re-teamed with Jordan Peele in 2019 to deliver another chilling score in the soundtrack for Us. Anthem is the main standout of this score, setting the tone and being one of the most unsettling but addicting tracks to listen to in 2019. The vocals and drums come together in a terrific (or horrific, your choice) manner to really set the atmosphere of the film. It even works extremely well on its own.
Avengers: Endgame
Alan Silvestri went all out in his score for Avengers: Endgame. While the score for Infinity War had the main iconic theme for the team cut up and interlaced in tracks far and in-between, Endgame does the opposite. The main theme for the Avengers is heavily featured throughout the score in different and creative variations. From a jazz cover of the theme in the track The How Works to the full blown epic scale we know and love in the now iconic track Portals, listening to these tracks will give you goosebumps every time.
Knives Out
Composer Nathan Johnson truly outdid himself in his work with his cousin, writer and director Rian Johnson. For Knives Out, Nathan created a truly enticing and elegant atmosphere with his strings and pianos. From the main Thrombey Family theme both in piano cover and full blown quartet, Knives Out featured some of the most classical and enjoyable music of the year. A separate experience all on its own
Parasite
Bong Joon-Ho’s critically acclaimed thriller has a beautiful and evocative score attached, composed by Jung Jaeil. From Opening to The Belt of Faith, this elegant score has extremely strong orchestral pieces that work well outside of the film itself. The score for Parasite is a powerful work of art in and of itself, and is absolutely worth a listen from beginning to end.
Joker
With Joker, Oscar-nominated composer Hildur Guðnadóttir captures the visceral and intense nature of the film with tracks like Bathroom Dance. Demented strings and crazy clowns are aplenty.
Little Women
Composer Alexandre Desplat has made a name for himself in recent years. With beautiful compositions in The Shape of Water and Isle of Dogs, Desplat continues the trend of beautiful and heartfelt scores with Little Women. The score truly reflects the quality of the film with this one, as themes such as Amy and the main title track Little Women manages to convey the melancholy and heartfelt nature of Greta Gerwigs latest film.
Waves
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross continue to cement themselves as masters of movie scores. With Waves, we are given a visceral and emotional ride, to fit with the tone of the film. Ranging from short 1 minute tracks like Everything Burns to a 22 minute track like Wound Heal, the score for Waves is an emotional journey not for the faint of heart. Don’t worry though, we only but the short and sweet tracks on the playlist.
Uncut Gems
Daniel Lopatin translates the feel and aesthetic of Uncut Gems in his psychedelic soundtrack. Taking a Vangelis like approach, the score contains unreal synths, sax, and more to set the mood for the Safdie brothers latest film. With tracks like The Ballad of Howie Bling, Daniel Lopatin takes you on a journey of his own. You can really feel the gem with this amazing score.
Honorable Mentions:
Other scores that are on the playlist but not mentioned above include Ad Astra, The Irishman, Godzilla King of the Monsters, Honey Boy, Shazam!, and The Farewell.
Listen to the entire playlist below:
Be sure to check out Full Circle’s Top 10 TV Shows Of 2019.
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