[Filling the Space is a flexible column where our writers could vent, deconstruct, and work their way around the emotions brought on by TV, films, books, music, and key moments in pop culture. This isn’t meant to be analytical, but instead, a means of bringing our voice into a space on the internet where there’s often too much going on—a way to step into the sphere.]
The first time I ever walked into a club, I cried and had a panic attack—all within seconds. It was then that I realized that techno music with heavy bass isn’t for me, and I’m actually quite sensitive to various sounds. All of this got much worse as I grew older, so imagine my surprise when I realized that I adored the Challengers‘ original score.
What on earth did Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross put into this soundtrack because how am I so utterly obsessed with it? What magic is sprinkled into every note that I’m not getting anxious every time a track comes on, but instead, it’s all I’ve been listening to since I watched the movie? I was so sure I’d get sick of it. It’s the movie’s hype. It’s my fixation, and once that ends, I’ll get over the score, too. But nope. It’s now been three months, and I’m confident it’ll end up on my Spotify-wrapped list.
The Challengers original score feels like it’s almost made for the anxious kids. The ones struggling with their careers (and relating way too deeply to the characters). It feels like it’s tailor-made to motivate us to keep going and keep pushing. If I heard it before watching the movie, it wouldn’t have hit as strongly as it does during. It might not have left the impact that it does, but now, it feels like something that can pull me out of the rockiest headspace, which is something I imagine my therapist would be happy to hear.
It’s the easiest motivator to do anything, including writing about shows with a completely different vibe to Challengers. (No, I’m serious. I just wrote my review for Ghosts Season 3 while listening to this score. Does it make any sense? Absolutely not, but these vibes need to be studied, and I’m not sure I’m equipped to study it myself.)
At the end of the day, I think it’s about how spring and summer feel. I’m not quite sure I’ll be listening to the Challengers original score come fall or winter, but who’s to say? The tracks feel like the kind of beats that are supposed to help you embrace the things that are scariest to tackle in silence. I don’t understand music theory, but with the way audios trend and spread, it feels safe to admit that there won’t be anything like the Challengers’ original score this year.