Question Everything With This ‘Darling’ Soundtrack Sampler (Exclusive)

Mickey Keating stunned horror audiences with his paranoid conspiracy theory film Pod, which has been acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike. Now, his latest upcoming film Darling is gearing up for release and, according to our reviews, is ready to give audiences something really special. Luiz was “…mesmerized” and Trace gushed that it’s, “…a trippy, hypnotic ride.”

In anticipation of the film’s release, which hits VOD and limited theaters this Friday, we’ve got a sampler of the film’s score, which was composed by Giona Ostinelli, which you can hear above. Ostinelli’s score also comes out this Friday.

Ostinelli explains:

There’s barely any dialogue throughout the whole film, so the music had to play a major role by being another character in the film that is always present. It is a rare opportunity in today’s film industry, as well as a major challenge. The score has to be incredibly focused on guiding the audience through the film with confidence.

‘Darling’ presented a wonderful opportunity to experiment creating a score as a combination of classical, noir and sound design elements. I was able to achieve a particular sound by creating a unique hallucinatory soundscape, which features a heaving distorted Ondes Martenot combined with various layers of piano going through a very specific type of reverb. On top of these hypnotic intricate sonorities, I occasionally introduced a distant solo trumpet, which added a disturbing noir element that worked perfectly with the black-and-white images.

“‘Darling’ begins as a lonely young woman (Lauren Ashley Carter) moves into an old, mysterious Manhattan mansion. Hired as a caretaker, it’s not long before she discovers the estate’s haunted reputation and troubling past. These stories slowly transform into a backdrop for her twisted and violent descent into madness…“