Nine Inch Nails Soundtrack Sets the Perfect Tone for “Dragon Tattoo”

David Fincher’s newest film, a remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” hit theaters in December, and it has received much critical praise for everything from Rooney Mara’s acting chops to its stylistic craftsmanship. What surprises me is that not nearly as much has been said about the fantastic Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. The music plays so much into the overall feeling of the movie that it’s hard to imagine it without.

The first encounter I had with the soundtrack was the infectious snippet of music apparent in the trailer. Paired with the flashing visuals, I often found myself humming the pulsating melody at all hours of the day, and with that, I could envision the quick images of the teaser trailer.

Once I finally sat down to watch the movie, I was again taken with that same bit of music, but this time, it was set to different images. I’d find it hard to believe that the opening sequence wasn’t a deliberate collaboration between director and musician because of how audio and visual perfectly compliment each other.

Above all, this movie is about atmosphere, and it could not have been created nearly as well without the music. Reznor’s typical music stylings work perfectly with the foreboding tension that builds throughout. This soundtrack is the perfect example of how a soundtrack should compliment a movie rather than distract. I became so involved in the movie that the visual and audio seemed to meld into one, and I can’t image one without the other.