Big Bad Wolves composed by Frank Ilfman (soundtrack review)

‘Big Bad Wolves’ is a  2013 Israeli thriller about detective on a quest for revenge against a suspected child killer which wowed audiences at film festivals and the Saturn Awards as well as being labelled the ‘Best Film of 2013’ by director Quentin Tarantino.

Its soundtrack has managed to replicate the movie’s success, winning the Israeli Film Academy Award for Best Score and the Saturn Award for Best Movie Score. Israeli and German composer Frank Ilfman cites Ennio Morricone as the inspiration for his entire career, let alone the score for ‘Big Bad Wolves’ and he has delivered an atmospheric soundtrack that shows the good, the bad and the ugly of man. Ilfman has also previously worked with directors Navot Papushado and Aharon Keshales on ‘Rabies’ so the strong relationship is already in place for this score.

The opening track ‘Big Bad Wolves: Main Theme’ is a straightforward haunting track that sets the theme of the film. Between this, the second and third track on the album, you may wonder what the fuss is with ‘Big Bad Wolves’ but when the fourth track ‘Scream For Me’ kicks in with its shrieking violins that replicate screams, you begin to understand. Ilfman knows how to use the instruments at hand to create something terrifying without being too obvious or gimmicky and this is apparent throughout the entire score.

The only way to describe track number five ‘The Chair Of Horror’ is abrupt and business-like as it goes about setting the tone. There are no wasted notes and while just shy of three minutes long, it packs a lot in.

As with most thrillers, the composer is obliged to put a chase theme in and ‘Big Bad Wolves’ is no different. Track seven, ‘The Chase’ is a fresh take on an old movie trope and has more depth to it than your average chase music, mirroring the film itself.

The soundtrack takes a different tone with ‘Story About A Girl’ which is so quiet and creepy that you feel you have to keep looking over your shoulder to make sure nobody is there.

This creepiness continues with ‘Hammer And Bones’ that has a ‘Day In The Life’ style screech to open before normal haunting service resumes.

The final two tracks, ‘The Last Breath’ and ‘The Missing Girl and Epilogue’ do somewhat drift into each other with the former being quite haunting and the latter perfect as end credits music.

This film was mostly overlooked beyond festivals which is a shame so don’t let the same happen to this excellently haunting soundtrack.

Aidan Fortune

July 2014

(pub: MovieScore Media and Kronos Records, 18 tracks, 53 minutes, CD and digital’ Price: $ 7.99 (US), £ 7.99 (UK). ASIN: B00GZ7GFUG)

checkout website: www.kronosrecords.com/Ilfman.html