It took me long enough but it wasn't until recently that I fell in love with film soundtracks. Obviously, they have a profound influence on navigation of the tones and moods of the story's narrative and it seems like 2015 was yet another exceptional year for soundtracks especially to someone like me who wasn't aware of their significant roles previously. So here we go, I picked five film soundtracks that not only influenced the narration but also were a powerful and singular character in the film. I'm sure you can guess a few of them now but let's go!

Ryan Gosling's directorial debut film, Lost River, may have went over many people's heads but without a doubt, the film score by Johnny Jewel is one that will bring feverish nightmares or ethereal serenity to some. If I were stuck in a romanticized version of the post-apocalypse, I would want this soundtrack to be blasting on every decrepit street corner. You can tell he got some major inspiration from working with Nicolas Winding Refn especially on Only God Forgive. And before you disregard Gosling's directing chops, I suggest you watch this film for yourself. (See Review)

Favorite tune to dance to while a building burns down: Tell Me - Johnny Jewel. 

There is no film this year that has a more in-your-face soundtrack and one that acts like its very own wild character than in Sean Baker's Tangerine. The tone of the film would've been drastically different had it not been the trap music amongst the most prominent sounds that introduced us into the wild wild west of the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland. What is more surprising is that Baker utilized such a boisterous soundtrack in Tangerine which vastly contracts from his previous works where there were little to no music involved. I'm thrilled he got his inspiration from seeing Wolftyla's vine. (See Review)

#1 song I want playing while I enter my High School reunion looking fly as hell: Taliban - Haterade & Skellism

If Mad Max: Fury Road isn't 2015's best film of the year, I don't know what is! I know some were peeved that Brian May of the music composer of the OG Mad Max and Road Warrior didn't return for Fury Road but hey, Junkie XL, the composer of Fury Road did one hell of a job! It perfectly captures the impending and current shitshow that is going down as Feminists across the land reclaim back their freedom in the most glorious and earth-shattering fashion! It is THE most perfect soundtrack to the grandest of cat and mouse chases!

Perfect anthem to play while I continue to handle my shit and stomp on patriarchy!: Storm Is Coming

In Duke of Burgundy, The characters and music seem to be speaking the same language and dancing to the same beats. The sultry tunes of the seduction and power play within this provocative relationship continues to make bewildering rounds around us with every ringing chord. It helps guide the audience through the ebbs and flow of this strange dynamic, causing the characters and audience alike to be entranced and entangled in this ever growing enigma. But underneath it's dream-like melodies, there is a deep sense of melancholia that fills the titillating air.

Melody I'd like to hear while dancing like a gypsy in my sun-soaked living room on a Sunday afternoon: Opening Credit Song 

It Follows is one of the best horror films of this decade. While that might be a big statement, it’s the swift precision of the narrative, cinematography, and especially the soundtrack that propels this film to the top of many top film lists. The soundtrack music by Disasterpeace elevates this claustrophobic and anxiety-inducing story to suffocating heights with it’s piercing instrumentals and skin-crawling melodies. The music reigns supreme in this story and it's a beast that cannot be tamed! You have been warned!

Melody I’d like playing when I’m having an existential crisis aka SOMEONE IS TRYING TO MURDER ME (How perfect): Detroit

Other soundtracks like Kumiko the Treasure Hunter, Victoria, Only Lovers Left Alive and many others deserve recognition for providing a stellar soundtrack that help gear the narrative in such magnificent ways. It’s incredible how a bunch of curated tracks could truly make a film that much better by either helping the audience understand the emotional state of a character or just to heighten the mood even that much deeper. I cannot wait to see what next year will provide because by the looks of it, it’s going to be a tough year to follow up!

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ive been listening to the dark knight soundtrack and it reassured my theory that when making a movie, if the music isn't good, the entire film can be a hit or a miss. im not saying that having bad music will make a film necessarily bad, but it won't evoke the same kind of emotions that the director intended the audience to have. there are so many great soundtracks but these are the only ones that come into mind right now...

1) garden state. while i was watching the movie, i knew it was good. but didnt know how good it was till magazines after magazines kept lauding it. so i sat down and listened to the music alone without the visuals and it was very... liberating and calming in many ways. zach braff has a knack for these things. he also picked the songs for the last kiss and it was amazing as well..

( listen to: coldplay - dont panic, zero 7 - in the waiting line, frou frou - let go, theres so many other ones, just dl the whole soundtrack)

2) once. sweeny todd. hairspray. moulin rouge. but theyre all musicals so enough said.

3) she's the man. yeah, i know it's not one that comes to mind when thinking of great soundtracks but it has really catchy tunes. im not going to lie, it's a guilty pleasure...(listen to: the faders - no sleep tonight, dave lichens - let go)

4) there will be blood. anything jonny greenwood does is mesmerizing. it was like i was in heaven--i was watching d-day but also listening to radiohead, it really cant get better than that! 

5) juno. jason reitman must really like the folk genre because he picks similar songs for all his movies. in thank you for smoking, the music was folkish and in juno, it was folk/acoustic. 

6) all quentin tarantino films. he picks the most unique songs that get stuck in your head and makes sure that you dont visualize anything but his films when you hear the songs elsewhere. for kill bill, RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan produced and orchestrated it and you can hear it. 

7) THE DARK KNIGHT. im so impressed its crazy. its like requeim for a dream, if it wasnt for the music, the whole film wouldnt have the right mood to it. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard who worked on Kung-Fu Panda and The Happening, respectively--before collaborating together to create the dark knight soundtrack--formulated a marvelous and almost disgustingly impressing series of songs for the film. (listen to: like a dog chasing cars, the dark knight)  

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