Chris Wirsig, an award-winning composer and respected member of the Television Academy and Recording Academy, delivers a spine-chilling yet stylistically diverse soundtrack for Dating Horror Stories, the latest episodic horror film from director Joshua Nelson. Released on November 8, 2024, the soundtrack offers an unsettling yet occasionally whimsical musical backdrop to a film that explores the terrifying twists of modern dating.
The opening track, “Story Time (Dating Horror Stories),” sets a grim and suspenseful tone with glitchy, buzzing textures and sharp, slicing percussive layers. The cold, hanging melody overhead hints at the impending dread that permeates the film.
The main theme, “Dating Horror Stories (Main Theme),” builds tension masterfully. Beginning with strumming guitars and haunting atmospherics, it gradually incorporates heavy strings, crafting a slow-burning intensity that mirrors the creeping terror of the film’s narratives.
Wirsig also introduces exotic and experimental elements in tracks like “The Counselor.” This piece features Eastern-inspired sitar tones which add a mysterious air, shimmering silkily against the understated uneasiness of the arrangement and a jittery, percussive groove that pulses gently yet persistently. Warm, free-reed melodies, on the other hand, blow heavily overhead.
Not all tracks are purely ominous. “Dating At Our Age Sucks (with the Magic Lounge Band)” offers a more relaxing departure. Unlike the darker, atmospheric cues, this track broods with a fluid, slow melody. Shimmering percussion and pulsating cymbals spark the track with zest, while drums pound with vigor, bringing a sense of resigned humor to the otherwise grim subject of dating horrors.
Wirsig switches between fear, tension, and ironic lightness which makes Dating Horror Stories (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) a compelling companion to the film. Whether you’re a fan of horror or an admirer of nuanced composition, this soundtrack is a must-listen.
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Review by: Naomi Joan