One of the puzzling omissions from this year’s Oscar lineup is the score for Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” As an adrenaline-surging masterclass in tempo-setting and mood-building, the film represents another high point for composers and Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. With this score having won the Golden Globe and the Critics’ Choice Award, and the composers already winning two Oscars, an Emmy and a Grammy for their soundtracks since 2011, it’s hard to feel like they haven’t earned their dues as artists, but it still stands that they should’ve been nominated for this.
Reznor has been doing film work since 1994, the same year as the band’s breakout record “The Downward Spiral.” He produced the soundtrack and recorded songs for “Natural Born Killers” and “The Crow.” Two years later, Nine Inch Nails would be credited for the soundtrack of the video game “Quake,” noted for its oppressive ambiance and dark tones. Reznor would also produce the soundtrack and record a new song for David Lynch’s “Lost Highway” (1997). Ross’s feature film work began with the Denzel-starring thriller “The Book of Eli” (2010), which premiered nine months before the pair’s efforts would be heard in theaters through David Fincher’s “The Social Network” (2010).
Though Reznor initially turned down the offer to recover from a lengthy tour, he eventually accepted Fincher’s request and brought Ross to the project to push their creative limits. The result is nothing short of iconic and hypnotic; the score simultaneously provided an energetic pulse and an underlying darkness to the now infamous story of Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook. Their work quickly won over the industry, taking home an Oscar, Golden Globe and countless Critics’ prizes.
Reznor and Ross would immediately follow up their success with an even more ambitious and experimental project, the score for Fincher’s disturbing neo-noir “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011). Percussive and droning, seductive and anxious, this 173-minute score enjoyed similar acclaim and was nominated for a Golden Globe, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award and it won the duo a Grammy.
Their next major score was in 2019 for the soundtrack for HBO and Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen” mini series, which is Reznor and Ross’ pulpiest and most driving film work yet. It perfectly complemented the show’s off-kilter and high-stakes storytelling. It won their first Emmy out of two nominations for the show, the other being for a gorgeous 40s-inspired original song.
Reznor and Ross would see double Oscar nominations the following year with Pixar’s “Soul” (2020) and Fincher’s biopic “Mank.” The former imbues the unique animation with an ethereal quality that, combined with Jon Batiste’s terrific jazz compositions, would ultimately earn them their second Oscar win.
Their output in the 2020s has not failed to be as impressive as their early work. They found a new creative stalwart with Guadagnino for “Bones and All” (2022), the aforementioned “Challengers,” “Queer” (2024) and his upcoming “After the Hunt” (2025) while continuing their partnership with Fincher for “The Killer” (2023). They have also dived into franchise fare with the acclaimed “TMNT: Mutant Mayhem” (2023) and the forthcoming “Tron: Ares” (2025), while the Ross brothers (alongside Nick Chuba) were nominated for two Emmys for the masterful period drama “Shogun” (2024). Reznor will return to the video game world with Ross by his side for Naughty Dog’s tantalizing new project “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.”
