🎬 TIFF 2025: A Symphony of Stories Told Through Score

As TIFF 2025 concludes, it’s not just the visuals or performances that linger—it’s the music. This year’s festival lineup showcased a breathtaking range of original scores that elevate storytelling into something transcendent. From the haunting pulse of Macau’s underworld to the whimsical echoes of time travel, these compositions are more than background—they’re the heartbeat of each film.

🎲 Ballad of a Small Player – Volker Bertelmann’s Sonic Descent

Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player is a fever dream of addiction and identity, and Volker Bertelmann’s score is its pulse. With throbbing horns and strings that mirror Colin Farrell’s unraveling psyche, Bertelmann crafts a soundscape that’s as erratic and hypnotic as the film itself. The music doesn’t just accompany Reilly’s descent—it drags us down with him.

👵 Eleanor the Great – Dustin O’Halloran’s Tender Trickery

Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great is a masterclass in emotional complexity, and Dustin O’Halloran’s score is its quiet co-conspirator. As June Squibb’s Eleanor blurs the line between truth and fiction, O’Halloran’s music gently nudges us into her world—a place of loss, longing, and unexpected connection. It’s a score that understands the power of storytelling, even when the story isn’t yours to tell.

💛 Swiped – Chanda Dancy’s Anthem of Ambition

In Swiped, Chanda Dancy channels the electric ambition of Whitney Wolfe Herd’s rise from tech outsider to billionaire disruptor. Her score pulses with the energy of innovation and the tension of a woman navigating a hostile industry. Dancy’s music doesn’t just underscore the drama—it amplifies the stakes, turning a biopic into a battle cry.

⏳ Eternal Return – Chanda Dancy’s Melancholic Magic

Dancy returns with Eternal Return, a romantic fantasy that bends time and memory. Her score is a delicate dance between whimsy and sorrow, echoing Naomi Scott’s journey through grief and rediscovery. In a film that maps emotion as much as geography, Dancy’s music is the compass.

💫 Eternity – David Fleming’s Afterlife Elegy

David Freyne’s Eternity asks: who do we choose to spend forever with? David Fleming’s score answers with grace and gravitas. As Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller navigate love beyond death, Fleming’s music evokes the bittersweet beauty of memory and the ache of choice. It’s a soundtrack for souls in transit—wistful, warm, and quietly profound.

👨‍👧 Rental Family – Jónsi & Alex Somers’ Ethereal Embrace

In Rental Family, Brendan Fraser plays an actor hired to impersonate loved ones in Japan’s surreal rental-relative industry. Jónsi and Alex Somers deliver a score that’s as tender and otherworldly as the film’s premise. Their ambient textures and emotional swells wrap the narrative in a sonic cocoon, reminding us that family is not just who we’re born to—it’s who we choose.

TIFF 2025 proves that music isn’t just an accessory—it’s a co-author. These composers have not only scored films; they’ve scored our hearts. And in a festival brimming with cinematic brilliance, it’s their melodies that echo long after the credits roll.