It’s often said that music tames the savage beast. In this case, though, music IS the savage beast. Read on to find out which three horror movies dug their claws into our hearts with their damnably good rock soundtracks.
1. 28 Days Later (2002)
This impossibly cool post-apocalyptic horror movie has it all: a gritty VCR film aesthetic, a post-rock soundtrack, and a searing performance from a young Cillian Murphy. It’s also known for acting as a defibrillator for the zombie genre by making them fast-moving, thrashing, and lashing instead of the slower walking dead we see in traditional zombie movies. 28 Days Later’s electronic score, composed by John Murphy, adds a spine-tingling ambiance to action sequences while lending more intimate moments a strangely sweet poignancy. Mix in tracks from Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Grandaddy, and Blue States, and you’ve got one cult soundtrack on your hands.
2. Lost Highway (1997)
Name one David Lynch movie that isn’t perfectly scored. Nothing coming to mind? That’s because it’s a theoretical impossibility. Just take neo-noir horror movie Lost Highway, with its dark and nasty soundtrack produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Alongside original music of the spooky jazz type from long-time Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti, it also features hits from David Bowie, The Smashing Pumpkins, Lou Reed, Marilyn Manson, and Rammstein to name a few rock gods. It’s the ideal pairing for a typically topsy-turvy trip into the dark recesses of the Lynchian imagination.
3. The Crow (1994)
This cult horror movie based on the comic book of the same name is all about rage and revenge, and it has the soundtrack to match. The Cure, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Rage Against the Machine, and Helmet all appear on the original soundtrack, which was made into a chart-topping album. Though Joy Division was approached to make a contribution, they, unfortunately, turned down the offer, appearing instead in a cover by Nine Inch Nails. Other covers like Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” by Rollins Band and Poison Idea’s “The Badge” by Pantera also make for one hell of a killer soundtrack.
