Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ Will Reunite Him With ‘Brick’ Composer Nathan Johnson
After a five year hiatus from creating film scores,Nathan Johnsonis returning to the art form to compose the score forRian Johnson’s upcoming murder mysteryKnives Out. Nathan, who happens to be Rian’s cousin, has been responsible for the music in all of Rian’s movies save forStar Wars: The Last Jedi(which, naturally, was provided by John Williams).
FilmMusicReportersays Nathan Johnson is coming back to score Rian’sKnives Out, an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery. The last feature film he scored was 2014’s Jeremy Renner-led political thrillerKill the Messenger, and since then he’s largely been directingmusicvideosand working with his band/collective The Cinematic Underground (who also aided in the production of his scores).
He’s perhaps best known for his ultra-creative work scoring 2005’s neo-noir filmBrick. This was his first score ever, and the entire thing was recorded in his apartment, incorporating things like kitchen utensils and filing cabinets to achieve a totally unique sound:
Speaking of theBrickscore, I’m also partial to “Laura’s Theme,” a warm, laid-back tune that feels nostalgic in all the right ways:
Johnson increased the scope of the production for hisThe Brothers Bloomscore a few years later, crafting memorable tracks like “Penelope’s Theme,” a jaunty track with hints of wistful melancholy:
His work on the 2012 sci-fi filmLoopercouldn’t be more different, producing a more industrial sound with driving strings that perfectly aligns with that movie’s pace.
For my money, Nathan Johnson is one of the most interesting composers out there right now. In the same way that I’m excited to see how Rian navigates entirely an new genre withKnives Out, I’m pumped to see what Nathan does with the aural soundscape of a murder mystery, leaning into tropes or possibly bucking against them. Did I mention this is my most anticipated film of 2019?
Knives Outhas a killer cast, includingDaniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Frank Oz, Ana De Armas, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, Riki Lindhome, Noah Segan, andJaeden Lieberher. It hits theaters onNovember 27, 2019.
