ACL 2025 - The Year’s Best Film Scores

A Closer Listen

Our annual list of the year’s best film scores often differs from those of others, because our goals are different; we’re listening for film scores that operate well as stand-alone albums.  We’ve heard all of the major players, and yet are just as likely to choose independent productions.

Some people love to see movies on the big screen because of the wide-screen visuals; we like hearing movies in immersive Dolby sound.  Sometimes we even return to the theatre to hear a movie again, because we know that no home theatre system or personal listening device will ever compare.  But whether or not they opened in theaters, the films below made an impact on our ears.

Bryce Dessner ~ Train Dreams (Netflix Music) The fact that two albums on our list come from Netflix Music is a testament to Netflix becoming a major player.  Train Dreams is a movie of small moments and great wonder, and receives a score to match.  Subtle in some moments, swelling in others, the music operates as a character of its own, matching humble hearts with magnificent dreams.

Ensemble 0 ~ L’Incroyable Femme Des Neiges (LAAPS) Like the best skiers, this playful French film can turn on a dime; and so does its score.  In all but one piece, the score embraces the listener, reflecting the sense of home, as well as the vast white winter.  Even the occasional violence of the film is softened by the kindness of the ensemble.

Original Review

Gaspar Claus ~ Un Monde Violent (IInFiné) A completely different sort of French film, this thriller requires a different approach.  Claus wraps the strings so tight one fears they will snap along with the protagonists.  The most unusual moment arrives in “Channel” as a marching band appears, then disappears.  We haven’t yet seen the movie, but our appetites are whet by a score we’ve played over and over.

Original Review

Kangding Ray ~ SIRĀT (Invada) SIRĀT is a harrowing film about a father in search of his daughter, who has gone missing during a rave.  As such, it receives a propulsive, electronic score from Kangding Ray, one that may at times remind listeners of Giorgio Moroder’s score for Midnight Express.  The adds urgency to the search while serving as an impressive DJ set.

Ludwig Göransson ~ Sinners (Sony) Our runaway choice for the year’s best film score, Sinners blew us away from the moment we heard and saw it.  The film is interwoven with music, and includes a scene that traverses time, drawing threads across multiple centuries.  These vampires are not only after blood; in a gonzo plot twist, they are also after tunes, with only a handful of musicians standing in their way.

Original Review

Mari Fukuhara ~ Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (22D) This precocious nugget of a score accompanies the charming animated feature, in which music is never too far from the screen.  Multiple moods are conveyed through piano, marimba, and more, as Fukuhara accompanies the protagonist while scoring her moods.  Not everything is completely happy, but everything works out in the end.

Max Richter ~ Hamnet (Decca) Max Richter can do no wrong, and Hamnet is perfectly suited to his skills.  The movie traces the love story that led to the writing of Hamlet, and its grand themes are beautifully woven by Richter, whose orchestral flourishes envelop longer selections that include “Of the undiscovered country.” With such music playing, how could romance fail to blossom?

M83 ~ A Necessary Escape (Dakar Chronicles Original Soundtrack) (Other Suns) Motor sports are dangerous enough; why in the world would one race across the desert?  Dakar Chronicles attempts to provide the answer, profiling some of the world’s highest-risk athletes.  M83 provides them with a suitable, adrenaline-pumping score which one can imagine being played on the day of the race itself, hearts pumping, engines roaring.

Patricio Fraile ~ My Eternal Summer (FatCat) Music is integral to the plot of My Eternal Summer, binding a mother and daughter in life and then extending the connection after a tragic loss.  Fraile’s score is bittersweet and lovely, empathetic and caring, outlasting any argument or misunderstanding and landing squarely on love.

Original Review

Volker Bertelmann ~ A House of Dynamite (Netflix Music) Alternating between foreboding drone and staccato strings, Volker Bertelmann establishes a feeling of creeping dread, perfectly suited to the subject matter.  Will humanity trust each other and avoid disaster, or is the ending inevitable?  The clues are found in the score, which like the frantic phone calls of the film, demands an answer now.

Note: Three late-year original score contenders have not yet been released, but hold promise: Hania Rani’s “Sentimental Value,” Daniel Lopatin’s “Marty Supreme” and Maya Shenfeld’s “Cover-Up.”  We will adjust this article if needed!

Richard Allen