James Hornertragically passed away in a single-person plane crash in 2015 at the age of 61, but his work has had an incredible impact on Hollywood and will likely retaina reputation of greatness for quite some time. For instance,Avatar: The Way of Water, a film released in 2022, was dedicated to Horner — and Bill Paxton — because he was supposed to score it.
Getting his start with Roger Corman, as many great auteurs have, Horner quickly moved onto bigger and better productions, like 1982’sStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khanand48 Hrs.He even scored his first Oscar nomination in 1986 withAliens. And that’s not all, as Horner accrued a whopping 10 Academy Award nominations throughout his career, winning two for one film.
And that one film is on this list, along with Horner’s other great works. What’s telling is that even listing 20 of his best works, there are stillseveralchoices that could very easily fit alongside the entries you’re about to read.
20The Pelican Brief (1993)
The Pelican Brief
Alan J. Pakula’sThe Pelican Brief, an adaptation of John Grisham’s popular 1992 novel, follows Julia Roberts as law student Darby Shaw teaming up with Denzel Washington as aWashington Heraldreporter, to uncover the motive behind the assassination of two Supreme Court justices. She already did some digging, which has put her in the bad guys' crosshairs, making reporter Gray Grantham an ally who could very well save her life.
What Makes It Great?
Horner’s score does a great job of building the film’s tension. In fact, considering it’s a rather bloodless (but still creepy when it wants to be) thriller, the technical elements have to do some heavy lifting to convey the film’s massive stakes. And Horner was a big part of pulling that off.StreamThe Pelican Briefon Pluto TV.
19The Mask of Zorro (1998)
The Mask of Zorro
Martin Campbell’sThe Mask of Zorroisn’t just one of the more enjoyable films to come from the late ’90s, it also possesses one ofthe best soundtracks of its respective decade. The narrative follows Anthony Hopkins' Zorro (AKA Don Diego de la Vega) as he trains a down-on-his-luck drunk to pick up the sword and take on a ruthless murderer who’s reared his ugly head.
Not long afterTitanic, Horner delivered an entirely different, swashbuckling score in his work forThe Mask of Zorro. While not as pumping as Hans Zimmer’s work for the laterPirates of the Caribbeanfilms, it’s suitably energetic and gives the necessary combined vibes of classic adventure and modern.StreamThe Mask of Zorroon Paramount+.
18House of Sand and Fog (2003)
House of Sand and Fog
A thematically and visually gorgeous, but ultimately difficult to watch film,House of Sand and Fogfeatures standout leading work from Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley, both at the top of their game. Connelly portrays Kathy Nicolo, a recovering addict whose inherited home is taken from her due to a government goof-up regarding back taxes.
That home is then purchased by Kingsley’s Iranian immigrant Massoud Amir Behrani. Both feel they have a right to the property, and technically both do, but one of two things are going to happen: either their conflict will expand until it cruellyincorporates cultural differences, or the two can come to an understanding.
The score forHouse of Sand and Fogis, naturally, one of Horner’s less bombastic works. But, the Oscar-nominated soundtrack is crucial in selling the film’s quiet tension, and anything more than Horner’s restrained contributions wouldn’t have gelled.StreamHouse of Sand and Fogon Max.
17The Perfect Storm (2000)
The Perfect Storm
Wolfgang Petersen’s star-studdedThe Perfect Stormtells the traumatic true story of theAndrea Gail, a commercial fishing vessel that fell victim to the titular storm of 1991. It is a tragic and incredible tale, and unfortunately, there were no survivors.
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Horner’s score is a big part of what makesThe Perfect Stormsuch an effectively harrowing experience. The acoustic guitar lulls the viewer into an elongated false sense of security before both the wave and the music’s increasing ambiance shake it all away.The Perfect Stormis available to stream on AMC.
16How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
While reception was mixed at the time, there’s asolid argument for Ron Howard’s versionofHow the Grinch Stole Christmasas the best of the Grinch adaptations. The narrative follows the titular green curmudgeon as he plots to destroy Christmas for the residents of Whoville once and for all.
While artists such as Faith Hill, Smash Mouth, NSYNC, and Busta Rhymes contributed to the soundtrack of Howard’s film, the vast majority came from Horner. It’s one of his most diverse scores, and he does a marvelous job of incorporating sound in a way that seems as if it genuinely could have come from some wacky Whoville musical instrument.StreamHow the Grinch Stole Christmason DIRECTV.
15Field of Dreams (1989)
Field of Dreams
Starring Kevin Costnerand the late Ray Liotta,Field of Dreamsis one of the great all-American films. The narrative follows a farmer who builds a baseball field in his backyard and soon finds he has brought back deceased players at the top of their game. But they don’t go back out to pro games, they just play in the farmer’s yard, enjoying America’s favorite pastime.
Horner’sField of Dreamsscore sells the concept of hope just as well as the film’s script and performances. For the most part, the soundtrack is grounded in all-American vibes, with even Horner’s trusty strings and horns present and accounted for. But it also does what it can to sell the film’s otherworldly aspects.StreamField of Dreamson Netflix.
14Balto (1995)
Set in the tiny town of Nome, Alaska,Baltofollows the titular character (a half-wolf dog) as he deals with ostracization from his pure blood dog peers. But, when those peers get trapped in a storm, it’s up to Balto to save the day, and help them transfer medicine to a town in need.
Horner didn’t score many animated films, but when he did (e.g. withAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West) it was perfectly on-brand. And, when the film hits its most intense sequences, that’s when the score hits its pulse-pounding peak, allowing viewers to feel a little more tension than usual with an animated movie.StreamBaltoon Peacock Premium.
13Casper (1995)
In the case of theCasperfilm franchise,the first is still the best. And it did well at the box office, making it more than a little surprising it’s never received a theatrical sequel. The narrative of Brad Silberling’s lovable film follows the widowed Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a ghost therapist who helps the deceased get to the other side, and his daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci). The former is enlisted to help a cruel, money-hungry woman and her companion clear some specters from her newly-inherited property. But, not all the ghosts are the haunting type.
By the timeCasperhit theaters, Horner was already well-versed in working with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. And, like his score forAn American Tail, his work onCasperboth evokes a sense of mystery, as well as the requisite spooky vibes (though nottoospooky). The most lovely song to come out of the movie was the achingly beautiful “Casper’s Lullaby.“StreamCasperon Netflix.
12Jumanji (1995)
Led by the late, great Robin Williams,Jumanjitells the tale of a man who becomes lost in a deadly game. 26 years ago, Alan Parrish became trapped in a “game” calledJumanji, and now that two kids have found it and begun playing, Parrish is brought back into the world. But, he’s not all that came out ofJumanji.
Stephen Spielberg protégé Joe Johnston has directed quite a few widely-appealing and successful blockbusters throughout his career, andJumanjiis absolutely one of them. He understood the assignment of crafting amile-a-minute adventurethat never loses sight of pacing, and it’s one of his scores where it’s pretty obvious he was having fun making it.StreamJumanjion Max.
11Southpaw (2015)
Southpaw, fromThe Equalizerdirector Antoine Fuqua, features one of2015’s most shocking movie scenes, but that’s not all that makes it such a gut-punch of a film. The narrative follows professional boxer Billy “The Great” Hope as he loses his title to an ambitious and cruel new young fighter. And, worse yet, the new fighter’s brother has just murdered Hope’s wife in cold blood.
Southpawwas the first of three films Horner worked on that were released after his death, with the other two beingThe 33andThe Magnificent Seven, which was also directed by Fuqua. And, while his work onMagnificent Sevenis arguably more memorable, and certainly more energetic, it’s his understated work onSouthpawthat ekes out the win.
Even in the quieter scenes, one has to focus to pick up on each musical cue, but that quiet nature has a way of selling the unsettled nature of the grieving Billy Hope’s mind.StreamSouthpawon Paramount+.
