James Horner

Oscar-winning composer James Horner's taut score for the Jodie Foster airplane thriller Flightplan may break little ground for the suspense genre, but it's as effective a template for fear as one could hope for. Utilizing his signature melodic percussion, along with sweeping strings and some spooky X-Files-style piano, the man who composed "My Heart Will Go On" for Celine Dion finds himself in a much darker frame of mind than when he held the baton for the sinking of the Titantic -- Flightplan's brooding melodic backbone (and this may be simply due to the involvement of Foster) is eerily reminiscent of the descending string motifs from Silence of the Lambs. Even on autopilot Horner is no slouch, as his attention to detail and tasteful arranging ultimately keep listeners engaged, even if they've heard it all before. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide