For
Luca Guadagnino
's 2018 remake of
Dario Argento
's 1977 horror classic,
Radiohead
frontman
Thom Yorke
took the reins to produce an updated soundtrack, adding familiar touches to an appropriately unsettling and tense experience.
Yorke
's
Suspiria
feels nostalgic yet strangely futuristic, with creeping synths ("The Jumps," "Klemperer Walks"), ominous atmospherics ("The Inevitable Pull"), and discomforting choral backing ("Sabbath Incantation") amplifying suspense and occasional terror. Though not as scary as "Synthesizer Speaks" or "Voiceless Terror," the sprawling 14-minute instrumental "A Choir of One" is a fine example of
's power, so unnerving and uncomfortable it's almost unlistenable, making
Trent Reznor
and
Atticus Ross
' haunted compositions feel warm and welcoming by comparison. These instrumental tracks lurk and tiptoe through the ether, creating a wholly immersive experience. However, the true draw for those more interested in the composer than the film is the fresh batch of
songs. Though not typical of his contributions to
or his own solo material,
-
will still sound quite familiar. On "Suspirium" (and "Suspirium Finale"), his delicate falsetto pairs perfectly with a gorgeous piano melody, while the plodding "Has Ended" rides a thrumming rhythm and patient beat, recalling
King of Limbs
Amnesiac
. "Unmade" is another standout, swirling together icy piano,
's soothing vocals, and a sweeping choir in one of the soundtrack's only purely lovely moments. Altogether,
is an appropriate accompaniment to the film, generating fear and discomfort as much by what's presented by
as what's left to the imagination. ~ Neil Z. Yeung