agmtw logo
search
Music by John Williams (2024)

Music by John Williams (2024)

An infinitely feel-good tribute to the man behind the most iconic movie music, from Superman to Star Wars and beyond

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

United States of America
English
Documentary, Music
2024
LAURENT BOUZEREAU
Alan Silvestri, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Barbara Ruick
106 min

TLDR

Steven Spielberg and John Williams’ neverending collaboration is the true definition of real recognizes real.

What it's about

Tells the storied life of composer John Williams, featuring interviews with frequent collaborators like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, as well with fellow composers and musicians.

The take

Before this documentary, I didn’t have the faintest clue that the formative films of my childhood—Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET, and Harry Potter, to name a few—were scored by one man: John Williams. This film is a loving tribute to Williams, who at 92, is still as lively as ever as he shares how he stumbled into Hollywood and found his calling as the definitive movie composer. It features interviews with frequent collaborators like Steven Spielberg and Yoyo Ma and fans like Chris Martin and Seth MacFarlane, but it’s truly Williams’ music that makes watching this a special experience. As soon as you hear the chilling first notes of Jaws, the brash opening of Star Wars, and the melodic strings of Jurassic Park, you’re hooked. Then Williams, often along with the directors, go on and recount how those came to be, and you find yourself seated, eyes wide with wonder.

What stands out

I just want to bask in the overflowing warmness that comes with Williams’ music. I hear the film scores and I’m instantly transported to the day I first saw these movies as a kid. What a powerful feeling!

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

More like this in

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.6

Hail Satan? (2019)

Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple

8.0

Cold War (2018)

A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals

9.2

The Edge of Democracy (2019)

Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.

9.0

Sound of Metal (2020)

Riz Ahmed excels in this piercing drama about a musician losing his hearing.

9.1

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

A darkly hilarious portrait of the inevitability of death

7.9

Honeyland (2019)

A cinematic achievement in the portrayal of the last wild beekeeper in Europe

9.3

The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)

A fun New York comedy about the pressure of unreached goals

8.2

Hearts Beat Loud (2018)

Nick Offerman with the feels

8.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.