Top 5 Original Movie Soundtracks [Best of 2021]

1. 5) The French Dispatch — Alexandre Desplat

   The Wes Anderson / Alexandre Desplat partnership continues to sparkle. Desplat’s jaunty piano,
   lyrical strings, and occasional tuba feel like music you’d hear while leafing through the magazine
   in a French café. Distinct sections mirror the film’s anthology structure yet fit together beautifully.

   — Ashley Hobley

1. 4) The Harder They Fall — Jeymes Samuel

   Director Jeymes Samuel (a musician himself) bakes music into the film’s DNA.
   A swaggering, modern western palette and a star-studded companion soundtrack—featuring
   Seal, JAY-Z, and Kid Cudi—layer even more cool onto one of 2021’s slickest movies.

   — Ashley Hobley

1. 3) The Power of the Dog — Jonny Greenwood

   Jonny Greenwood threads tension like a hidden wire—restless strings and guitar motifs haunt the film’s
   quiet spaces while those mournful horns on “Best Friends” signal a truth you only fully grasp as the credits roll.

   — Dylan Blight

1. 2) Dune — Hans Zimmer

   Zimmer’s self-described “spiritual without being religious” soundscape masks familiar instruments with synthesis and voice,
   crafting something truly otherworldly. From tectonic pulses to the piercing vocals of “Gom Jabbar,” the score alone
   transports you to Arrakis.

   — Dylan Blight

1) Bo Burnham: Inside — Bo Burnham

A one-man musical tour de force that captured the internet—and the moment. The slide from bouncy satire
(“Comedy,” “White Woman’s Instagram”) to aching introspection (“Funny Feeling,” “All Eyes on Me”) is deft and devastating.
Burnham earned every accolade.

— Ashley Hobley