John Wick (soundtrack)

History

Bates and Richard, who shared musical interests and had been friends, wanted to collaborate for some time. After filming completed, director Chad Stahelski and producer Dave Leitch approached Bates to write the score. Bates then thought of working with Richard, noting that Richard brought ideas and a sensibility matching Bates' approach. On July 11, 2014, it was announced that the two had composed the score.

Development

Stahelski and Leitch wanted the compositions to align with John Wick's alter ego and former life, requesting a fun, raw, aggressive, unorthodox score that could differentiate set pieces and fight sequences. The directors' first musical direction was for a score that would kick ass in the same aesthetic paradigm as John Wick's world. Bates and Richard conceptualized the score by getting into John Wick's headspace and understanding the tone and essence of his story before composing. The opening sequence was the first scene tackled; it was originally much longer and contained elements from the film's end. Le Castle Vania, long-time collaborators of Bates and Richard, made their film scoring debut by contributing original music written for high-energy scenes.

Critical reception

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club praised the score and Kaleida's Think, calling it one of the most effective and eccentric soundtrack choices in a recent action movie, underscoring the sense of a loud and bloody dance piece. Erik Avellaneda of Entertainment Voice highly praised the score as a nod to classic rock and modern techno that heightens the film's mystical, playful nature and strengthens the action. Joe Robberson of Zimbo hailed the piece as further pushing the wicked mood of the film, electric and making the film crackle with energy, praising its diversity and lack of Hans Zimmer-esque pulses.

Steve Persall of Tampa Bay Times described it as a neo-Giorgio Moroder synth-rock musical score. Peter Debruge of Variety acknowledged the importance of cinematography relying on a mix of heavy metal and electronic music from Marilyn Manson, Tyler Bates and Kaleida to generate propulsive forward energy. Paloma Sharma of Rediff wrote that Bates and Richard's soundtrack makes sure the viewer understands Wick is armed, angry, dangerous, and the coolest hitman seen in a while.

Robert Abele of The Los Angeles Times described the score as a growling rock soundtrack. Chris Sawin of Examiner.com highlighted the bass-heavy soundtrack, calling it an excellent companion and ideal sidekick to the film's action. Neil Miller of Film School Rejects described it as a pulsing score from Tyler Bates. Jeff Bulmer of The Phoenix News stated that Bates' music complements every scene as a soundtrack should, even becoming a character of its own.

Sutton Bradbury-Koster of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian spoke most highly of the score, noting that the music does all the talking, blending soothing strings with ambient synths to generate a raw, emotional atmosphere seemingly misplaced given the film, and that the rest of the score features a pulsating, intense low-drive bass drumbeat establishing a tense yet epic feeling.