Soundtrack Review: Countdown (2019)

The original motion picture soundtrack for Countdown is available now, with music composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (Ozark, Chef’s Table, Fear The Walking Dead). Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans are two award-winning film composers. They have been playing music together for over twenty years. In the last eight years, they have completed well over 100 acclaimed film and TV scores. As a duo, they are known for bold unpredictability, uniqueness, and their ability to interpret a wide range of genres for their scores. Drawing from an array of modern classical styles and beyond, their compositions are filled with atypical orchestrations, sensuous melodies, and visceral soundscapes.

Regarding the film, which features a seemingly deadly app, the composers had this to say:

“We had a great time scoring Countdown full of moody analog synths, atonal string orchestras and piercing jump scares. We tried to stay true to a traditional horror score but added some of our own unique twists and unpredictability!”

In Countdown, when a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict the moment a person will die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With the clock ticking and a figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.

This soundtrack, in a nutshell, is terrifying. I haven’t been this freaked out by a film score since I listened to the soundtrack for It: Chapter Two. There’s just something about horror soundtracks that pushes all of my anxiety buttons, and the soundtrack for Countdown is no exception. Bensi and Jurriaan make sure that you now where each and every jump scare is located, which makes sense since music is integral to making these jump scares work. Even though I expected this, it still scared me every time one leapt out of the music.

That being said, there’s a bit of range in this soundtrack. Here and there the music slips into a more relaxed mode, though these moments never last long and are usually just a precursor to another jump scare. One moment in particular jumped out at me: late in the soundtrack, the composers included what sounds like an old music box, and it’s sudden appearance sent chills down my spine. I don’t know why the music box sound can feel so terrifying in the setting of a horror film, but it does.

If the actual film is as scary as the soundtrack, then Countdown will surely be a film to watch out for (I personally have no plans to watch it as I am a bona fide scaredy cat when it comes to this genre). However, as much as it scared me, I did enjoy listening to the soundtrack.

Let me know what you think about Countdown (and its soundtrack) in the comments below and have a great day!