While some people listen to or watch murder mysteries year-round, this writer is a self-proclaimed seasonal consumer (except for shows like Miss Scarlet and The Duke, and their original scores). At the same time, she’ll never say no to re-watching Clue when it’s storming outside, no matter the season. Further, while Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is also a film that people can watch throughout the year, the Knives Out original soundtrack by Nathan Johnson feels like the murder mystery score most appropriate to have on until the end of October. (We’ll sync up with where Glass Onion’s original score falls when we get there.) And though this isn’t in any way proclaiming the gospel truth for appropriate timing, it’s our means of turning anything we can into an autumn special.
The original score is compiled of 20 songs that span around 51 minutes and 55 seconds, making each note a spooky pleasure, even if the partnering scenes are dark. The musical journey begins with “Knives Out (String Quartet in G Minor),” sending listeners to a world of mayhem and mischief before they can even tell what’s about to transpire.
Nathan Johnson then takes listeners through various familial themes with slower violin strings, building on emotions and the heightened tensions in the air. If listeners accidentally stumble onto this soundtrack and have no idea what the film is about, they’ll certainly realize it’s not a pleasant tale of bliss and rainbows. It’s eerie and spooky, and there’s plenty of enigma in every high-strung note.
The Knives Out original score is not only a perfect companion to the lunacy of the whodunit film, but it’s a brilliant standalone that’s especially appropriate for blaring just as it gets dark outside, and the first few drops of rain start to fall. Some favorites in the soundtrack include “The Broken Trellis,” “Foul Play,” “The Wake,” “The Thrombey Family Theme (Solo Piano),” and the wild, adventurous sounds in “Blanc’s Tale, Pt. I and II.” And yes, cozy white cable-knit sweaters are a mandatory outerwear requirement for listening. It is the law.
Further Recommended Original Scores: Only Murders In The Building by Siddhartha Khosla
Listen to the Knives Out original score below and let us know which tracks are your favorites.