By Felix Glanville, Film & TV Editor
The festive spirit is running dry and with the dawn of a new term, our attention turns to the next wave of deadlines. Whether you need to knuckle down and finally plan the 2,000-word essay you’ve been avoiding all holiday or break the seal on your dissertation – as you were distracted by Lindt chocolate reindeers and a necessary rewatch of the entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (speaking from no experience, obviously), then a cinematic study playlist is just what you need.
It is no question that in many instances, music does help you concentrate – soothing the mind and offering motivation. We have all heard about the wonders of listening to C418’s ‘Minecraft’ or blasting ‘Coconut Mall’, the legendary Mario kart anthem. Across my academic career so far, I’ve learned that when I really need high-intensity motivation, nothing clears the essay brain fog quite like soundtrack legends Hans Zimmer and Nicholas Britell.
I have curated a list of five of the finest film and television soundtracks that can help you focus during long library sessions, blitz through reams of secondary reading, and feel a little more inspired when your essay really isn’t cutting the mustard.
Oppenheimer (2023) | Ludwig Goransson
I thought it would be best to start this list with a score still relatively fresh, but one that has cemented itself as one of cinema’s greatest soundtracks of all time. Ludwig Goransson is on a phenomenal film run, scoring Black Panther (2018), Tenet (2020), Sinners (2025), and confirmed for Christopher Nolan’s much anticipated The Odyssey (2026). His Oppenheimer soundtrack has been garnered worldwide for it's beautiful portrayal of scientific wonder and destruction.
‘Can You Hear the Music’ is a mammoth – it was all over TikTok during Barbenheimer summer and is frequently used as a shorthand for personal and academic motivation. Goransson’s score is constantly twisting and turning, much like the Bristol student’s hunt for that vital source. It may have you questioning the physical toll your essay has taken on you – and briefly convincing you that your dissertation, too, could change the world.
Succession Season 3 (2022) | Nicholas Britell
A beautiful blend of classical and hip-hop music, Nicholas Britell stuck gold when crafting the soundtrack to the 19-Emmy-winning series.
Britell’s score of grandeur and absurdity is the tool to power through and focus - you can play through his entire catalogue across all four seasons of the show when that exam revision turns into a slog. You can feel like the Roy dynasty; majestic in the face of personal strife. With the hip-hop tastes of iconic character Kendall Roy infused amongst it’s string symphony you’ll also feel high profile in the library.
F1: The Movie (2025) | Hans Zimmer
The most recent soundtrack on this list and one which has already been trialed and tested during my essays last term is Hans Zimmer’s electrifying score that shaped my cinema experience of the film - Zimmer is doing a lot of the film’s heavy-lifting.
Armed with pulsating synthesisers and revved up bass, the F1 movie soundtrack is ideal for charging through work and feeling like a champion at the same time. The title track is an essential for any motivational playlist and a winner in my current rotation. I urge you to listen to this as you enter Wills Library - it’s an out of body experience.
The Crown Season 1 (2016) | Rupert Gregson-Williams
It was difficult to select a single season score from the hugely successful - and later controversial The Crown for the ideal atmospheric study playlist. I have a soft spot for Martin Phipps’ re-imagined Season 5 score; ‘Outsiders’ is a frequent go-to for diligent study.
But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Rupert Gregson-Williams’ score for the first series is a masterclass in classical language. Research indicates that baroque music is more effective in increasing student engagement, so The Crown’s score is an essential: equally grand and meditative.‘Duck Shoot’ may have you questioning the point of locking yourself away in the library for hours, while ‘The Letter’ will draw you into full focus.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2006) | Hans Zimmer
Oh come on, you must have seen this coming. Recently rewatching what is certainly in my top three films of all time - argue with the whirlpool scene - has certainly helped consolidate this choice, but I just had to. This study playlist has a double dosage of Mr Zimmer, but when he is the GOAT of film scores you can’t blame me.
Hans Zimmer’s third Pirates score is epic and addictive - perfect for getting all your words on the page. Like Jack Sparrow’s trip back from Davy Jones’ Locker, Zimmer’s score mirrors the essay-writing journey: the adventure and intrigue of new ideas in ‘Up Is Down’; the drawn-out battle with your own concentration in ‘I Don’t Think Now Is the Best Time’; and finally, the iconic conclusion of ‘Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho’, brings a much-needed sense of comfort.
Honourable Mentions
Obviously this is only just a snapshot of what the world of film and television soundtracks has to offer. It would be blasphemous to discuss study soundtracks without a mention of what many consider Hans Zimmer’s piece de resistance – his Interstellar (2014) score. His mystical use of the organ, synthesisers and glass rods in ‘First Steps’ and ‘Cornfield Chase’ plunges you into the heart of the cosmos, feeling academically inspired.
Another honourable mention has to be Oscar-winning duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and their high-octane Challengers (2024) soundtrack. The music was built to capture the intensity of the tennis court and Tashi’s love triangle, so if those late hours in the ASS are starting to wear you thin, Challengers will serve as your sonic energy drink.
Single Tracks
Finally, I must conclude with some stand out tracks from cinema that fly under the radar and should accompany any study playlist. Christophe Beck’s mesmerising ‘Anthropodie’ from Ant-Man and the Wasp (2019) is probably not what you were thinking. Marvel flicks can produce some all-time classics – you remember Alan Silvestri’s ‘Portals’ in Avengers:Endgame (2019), a re-imagining of his classic theme from the 2012 box-office smash. But here, Beck’s ‘Anthropodie’ for a pretty bang average MCU film is firing at all cylinders – play this when you get to the conclusion of your essay, trust me.
Hunter Grasdal
For something a little dicier when working against the clock, when you are struggling to cut the word count down, look to Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders’ ‘Le Mans 66’ from the 2019 film of the same name (hugely underrated racing film too). It’s got that 1960s American voyager spirit with distorted fuzz guitars perfect to get your study speed on.
There you have it, five of the finest soundtracks from film and television that will push you to academic heights this term, along with some honourable mentions thrown in for good measure. I really do think your study experience will become just a little more awe-inspiring and even lead you down some childhood cinematic rabbit holes – Michael Giacchino’s The Incredibles (2004) still hits hard.
Featured image: Curated by Felix GlanvilleWhat other soundtracks have you discovered help you study the best?
