Much like Best Original Song, the Oscar category of Best Original Score is always a fun one every year if only because the nominees can be appreciated outside the context of the movie. This year’s Oscar nominees for Best Original Score include Dunkirk, composed by Hans Zimmer, Phantom Thread, composed by Jonny Greenwood, The Shape of Water, composed by Alexandre Desplat, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, composed by John Williams, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, composed by Carter Burwell.
All five nominated scores are readily available to stream in full on Spotify, so you can judge for yourself. Listen to a sample song and vote for your favorite below. I have also provided links to the entire scores if you like what you hear.
Dunkirk – Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer’s score for Dunkirk is full of pulse-pounding orchestrations to ratchet up the excitement as soldiers trudge through war during the evacuation at Dunkirk. This score features that quiet suspenseful tension followed by bursts of adrenaline, not unlike Zimmer’s scores for other Christopher Nolan films like The Dark Knight and Inception. It wouldn’t be a score to a war film without a swelling, inspirational motif at some point, and while this score does have those moments, it does not fall into schmaltz or cliche. Listen to the entire Dunkirk score here:
Phantom Thread – Jonny Greenwood
First-time nominee Jonny Greenwood created one of the most elegant pieces of art this year with his score for Phantom Thread. This piano and strings-heavy score perfectly accentuates the obsessive perfectionist style of its main character, fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). The lush “House of Woodcock,” as featured above, is worth the price of admission alone, creating an elegant soundscape so beautiful you could hardly believe it was composed in the 21st century. Listen to the full Phantom Thread score here:
The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat
Like the movie itself, Alexandre Desplat’s score for The Shape of Water is very influenced by classic film. Paying homage to Amelie‘s whimsical accordion-based score and classic monster movie themes of past decades, this is a richly cinematic piece of art from start to finish. The delicate piano-based songs give the feeling of floating or being suspended in water, matching the film’s tone expertly, particularly on songs like “Elisa’s Theme” and “Underwater Kiss.” Listen to the full Shape of Water score here:
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – John Williams
This is John Williams’ 51st Oscar nomination, and more specifically his 46th in Best Original Score. The man knows how to craft a memorable score, having created the original Star Wars theme as heard again in his nominated film this year, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This score features numerous samplings of his past Star Wars scores, but the original pieces, like the new Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) theme, are strong enough and fit in seamlessly with those classics. Listen to the full Star Wars: The Last Jedi score here:
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Carter Burwell
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri score, composed by Carter Burwell, is drenched in Americana. The only nominated score to prominently feature guitars, Burwell gives the film a proper Western feel with a mix of anger, heartbreak and revenge. But the score also includes woodwind pieces similar to Burwell’s previously nominated score for Carol, which adds some much-needed gravitas to the film. Listen to the full Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri score here:
Now vote for your favorite!