Ramin Djawadi is perhaps one of the most underrated composers in Hollywood today. However, his talent & ability to create emphatic scores speak volumes about him and his dedication to his craft. Djawadi has gone on to score numerous Hollywood films, TV shows, and games and it’s clear that he is a unique new-age composer who stands out from other contemporaries of his era when it comes to his sound, instrumentation, and technique.
Djawadi has been composing for cinema ever since graduating from Berklee College Of Music at the turn of the millennium and is most well known for his score to the hit TV show Game of Thrones. Audiences soaked in and were delighted by Djawadi’s epic & distinctive orchestral scores to Game of Thrones through the episodes and seasons as he duly delivered memorable compositions to the battles, conflicts, and drama that unfolds in the realms and lands of Westeros.
Djawadi’s most recognizable, well-received, and celebrated score is surely the title sequence to Game of Thrones with its catchy instrumentation & motif which is as surreal as it is melancholic and distinctive. While most audiences prefer to skip past the intro credits, Djawadi's score is so well-conceived that most fans and viewers of the show don't mind sitting through the intro sequence just to hear Djawadi's theme.
Djawadi is a rather esoteric composer who has crafted themes and scores spanning a wide range of film genres that have seen him delve deep into the intricacies and art of composing while also innovating and keeping things fresh & enticing. After his initial years working under legendary Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, Djawadi branched out on his own to provide scores for a host of films.
The Iraninan-German composer has an impressive portfolio and body of work. Spanning his entire filmography over the years, here’s a list of Ramin Djawadi’s best scores to date.
10 Blade: Trinity
Djawadi’s score to the Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds, and Jessica Biel flick Blade: Trinity, which is the final installment of the Blade trilogy, was one of his earliest films for which he composed the original score. The film follows Blade (Wesley Snipes) corroborating with vampires called the Nightstalkers in his effort to defeat his most dangerous enemy: Dracula. The film, which was directed by David S. Goyer saw the director turn to Djawadi for the score and the Iranian composer impressively translated the darker themes of the film’s plot into a vivid and memorable score that showcased his abilities and musical prowess. The film and the Blade series were part of Djawadi's initial forays into composing, and he did a memorable job that made the film, and more specifically, its action sequences involving Snipes much more invigorating.
9 Fright Night
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Another film about vampires and another score by Djawadi, Fright Night, starring Colin Farrell was a remake of the original 1985 film of the same name. Director Craig Gillespie sought out Djawadi for the score, and he duly delivered a score that made the critical moments of the film come to life while also providing a base and running theme for the plot throughout the film. It was Djawadi’s music that made the otherwise monotonous film seem more interesting than it actually was and served as another film where Djawadi’s music was the saving grace of the production.
However, despite underwhelming at the box office and failing to impress critics, in general, the remake was received and appreciated as a better film than the original '80s version.
8 Pacific Rim
Changing the narrative from vampires to monsters, Pacific Rim was the Godzilla of the 2010s where gigantic alien creatures called Kaijus threaten to destroy planet Earth. The heroes who defend Earth against the Kaiju invasion gear up and pilot gigantic Transformer-like robots to battle the monsters as they try and save the planet. Djawadi extrapolates the battle sequences and drama rather fittingly in his score adding that extra bit of flavor to the visuals making the film even more enjoyable & exciting to watch. The epic battles between the robots and Kaijus wouldn’t have been complete without Djawadi’s nuanced score which surely delighted fans young and old as they watched the film.
7 Red Dawn
Red Dawn is a fictional war film starring Chris Hemsworth in which a handful of townsfolk from a small town in America defend their city from a North Korean invasion. Again, like Fright Night, it was a remake of a 1984 film that had the same name. Djawadi’s original score to Red Dawn made the film and the action sequences and storylines of the plot much more evocative as he thematically explores how the townspeople fight against the Korean invaders, adding patriotic and inspirational motifs to the score.
However, Red Dawn has poor ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, making Djawadi’s score one of the only memorable takeaways from the film.
6 Safe House
Safe House starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds explores the story of a CIA agent (Reynolds) who is tasked with looking after a wanted CIA defector(Washington) in a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. The safe house then gets attacked by mercenaries and both Reynolds and Washington are on the run. Director Daniel Espinoza appointed Djawadi for the score, and he sprang the action and drama sequences to life.
The script of a suspense thriller involving the CIA wasn’t the most innovative, and despite having Hollywood heavy hitters Washington & Reynolds acting in the film, the movie didn't do too well after its release. Djawadi’s score to the film would slip under the radar, but nonetheless, it was a valiant effort.
5 Eternals
The film Eternals is an MCU film that’s arguably rather strange in conception and quite loosely formulated as it is random. It depicts the story of a group of superheroes from outer space called the Eternals who help humankind over centuries but don’t intervene when humanity fails to co-exist peacefully—especially when they proceed to wage war with each other instead.
Djawadi’s score is full of inspirational tones and instrumentation, and he also provides sweeping epicness to the story. He delivers some emotional, slightly melancholic yet well-executed music to the film. While a sequel is being planned in the not-so-distant future, it’s still an MCU film that is ranked the lowest by ratings and by ardent MCU fans and moviegoers in general.
4 Prison Break
The hit 2000s TV show Prison Break wouldn’t have been complete without Ramin Djawadi’s score. The series was widely regarded as innovative concept-wise in its base plot and had several actors and characters who put in memorable performances. The show was extremely popular during the late 2000s when it aired, although it did drag on a bit as the seasons progressed with the narratives involving the Company and then seeing the characters enter yet another prison in Panama & break out again. Apart from the first couple of seasons, it all seemed a bit too much and rather excruciatingly prolonged; a plot that dragged on mindlessly. However, Djawadi’s score including the title theme and the regular score through the episodes over the seasons were largely impactful, and he succeeded in delivering and accentuating the suspense & drama as the show progressed.
3 Westworld
Westworld is a thematic sci-fi take and TV show that explores the intersection of Western themes and expansive futurist plots. Djawadi’s work on Westworld wasn’t limited to only an original score as he chose some exciting mainstream music ranging from artists like David Bowie to Radiohead & Lou Reed, to name a few, whose music he incorporated, and proceeded to cover in orchestral renditions of their original songs. Djawadi’s score is the pervading base through the part sci-fi part Western series, especially along with the orchestral covers & instrument choices that exemplify the characters, script, and action sequences throughout the series.
2 Iron Man
Perhaps one of Djawadi’s hallmark contributions to cinematic music is in the first MCU installment of Iron Man. The introduction of Tony Stark as he becomes Iron Man seems like a distant memory in how the MCU has progressed now coming to 2023. However, Stark’s fledgling battles and journey in becoming Iron Man was etched into memory for fans across the world because of Djawadi’s score.
Aided by Black Sabbath and a few other needle drops, Djawadi’s sweeping pervasive score with crescendos and drops through the action typified Tony Stark’s formative phase with a dash of intrigue & ingenuity and made the film a breakthrough success for the then-nascent MCU.
1 Game Of Thrones
It’s no surprise that Game Of Thrones is Djawadi’s crowning moment as a composer. The haunting, catchy, and exuberant title theme with its unique orchestration is as widely loved & revered, as his driving scores throughout the show. With expertly crafted & innovative soundscapes and orchestral themes to the drama, deception, battles, and thrilling plots of Westeros that contrived to become fan favorites on the highly regarded show, Djawadi stamps his mark on the series making the scenes and storylines almost dreamlike kindling a kind of intrigue and accentuation of the mystery and myth of the fictional kingdom. Djawadi’s exemplary brilliance and musical nous as a composer come to the forefront of the series making it his finest and greatest work to date.