Best Horror Movie Soundtracks From 2018

The year 2018 has come and gone but it left us with many horror titles that in my opinion brought back the spark of what horror once was. For the fans of remakes there was Suspiria, for the ones preferring sequels and prequels we had The Strangers: Prey at Night, Insidious 4, The Cloverfield Paradox and The First Purge . This is all fine, but what most of us expect from a horror film is something original that has the ability to take us to a place where we are unable to move and bring that feeling of fear we all love. The best and most effective way for a movie to accomplish this is with a scene (not a jump scare) and a music score that cuts directly through our bones.

There are numerous lists on the web focusing on the best horror soundtracks, but as of lately I find them to be repetitive. Sure, I love The Exorcist theme and many others as well. Jaws, A Nightmare at Elm Street, the original Suspiria, all have great soundtracks, including my favorite The Thing, but on the other hand, not many of these lists mention or even include newer horror films. So here is a list of some of my favorite soundtracks from 2018 horror movies:

10. Slender Man

A true shame for this one, as it could not reach and achieve the desired effect. The big reason why it didn’t work is that it took the movie too much time to even arrive and when it did, the Tall Faceless Man in a Suit was late for his own party. Not a terrible film, but bad timing and very poor execution. Still, the score composed for Slender Man himself is epic and does a fair job of describing his nature.

Slender Man – Ramin Djawadi & Brandon Campbell

9. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich

Again, compared to the other installments of Puppet Master this one failed on so many levels, apart from two - music and gory scenes. Let’s skip the gore for now and focus on the masterpiece given to us by the great Fabio Frizzi. This is the same guy who composed for Lucio Fulci in his 1979 horror movie Zombie Flesh Eaters so be sure to check his earlier work.

Carnage Hotel – Fabio Frizzi

8. Overlord

An action packed WWII Nazi themed horror with Jed Kurzel in charge of the movie soundtrack. Here is a small introduction into the scene, if you still haven’t seen this one. An allied soldier stumbles in an underground facility deep behind the enemy lines. Think Castle Wolfenstein meets Frankenstein’s Army or something along those lines and add this music to it.

Serum – Jed Kurzel

7. Hereditary

This one is was an easy pick. A bit of a slow burn but the execution of every scene was superb. Music alone is enough to make you feel uneasy and nervous and the final part when Paimon is reborn is like a triumph symphony but composed for the forces of darkness. Colin Stetson has truly given us a masterpiece.

Reborn – Colin Stetson

6. The Nun

Although this one was weaker in story compared to the other parts of the Conjuring universe the soundtrack is equal for most and on some parts even better than the previous ones. Whenever I talk about horror movies with my friends, which is quite often, we mention how this exact music actually made the movie a lot scarier.

Corridor of Crosses – Abel Korzeniowski

5. Mandy

We could say that this was going to be a hit from the beginning. We have Nicolas Cage as a revenge driven maniac and we have Johann Johannsson (1969-2018) in charge of the composing. Apart from the occasional hits and misses from our favorite “vampire” there was no doubt about Johann. The soundtrack sets the perfect atmosphere for the psychological vengeance wild ride and is a true work of art.

Mandy Love Theme – Johann Johannsson

4. A Quiet Place

This one would be closer to number 1 if circumstances were a little different. Excellent movie and a must watch for fans of the genre, with a powerful soundtrack that will stay with you long after the movie has ended. The thing about movie theme songs is that one can instantly join the scene with the melody. The combination of a strong scene with an even stronger sound can augment the entire feel and create something magical. A Quiet Place has that fight for survival, a family striving to overcome the odds, but it also has that depressing feel where you have to wonder if there is something more than just basic surviving.

A Quiet Life – Marco Beltrami

3. Halloween

I know, I know, it is similar to the original one from the 1978. Call me a nostalgic horror freak but we cannot deny the fact that this sequel is something a lot of us were waiting for. It lived up to the original and the small shifts and changes to the soundtrack just hit the target. Think about it… If you were Carpenter, would you have the guts to improve this genuine work of art?

The Shape Returns – John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davis

2. Annihilation

Before the reveal of number 1 spot I had to include this one. The scene, the visuals and the sound is something that Annihilation will surely be remembered by. Even though I am not a huge fan of human auto-destruction depicted in the film, one must admit that the idea behind this sci-fi horror is good and original so I felt obligated to include it. Why such a high position? Well, have a look and judge for yourself.

The Mark – Moderat

1. Summer of ‘84

Teens growing up in the suburbs cross paths with a serial killer. Put this plot in the 80s and add synth music and you have a recipe for something great. This one is not about nostalgia as much as it is sheer terror once the final part of the movie starts. During the entire film we have this slow buildup of tension, a game of cat and mouse where the teens are taunting the killer, but as we reach the end, we see a scene that will leave us scarred (it’s not a typo) for a long period of time.