Listen to a horror movie soundtrack in isolation, however, and its chilling power can be felt on its own. The composers who do it best can even invoke memories of a standout moment – like the screech of violins in Psycho’s shower scene, or the staccato orchestration of the imminent great white shark attack in Jaws. A symphony of sonic majesty can evoke emotions, and movie scores are essential to building tension, suspense, and anxiety. Music is intrinsic to horror films, more so than any genre other than perhaps musicals.
