Musique Fantastique

December 24, 2022

Arnau Bataller’s score for Spanish SciFi Thriller THE ANTARES PARADOX Released by MSM

MovieScore Media has released Arnau Bataller’s score for the Spanish sci-fi thriller THE ANTARES PARADOX (Spanish title, La paradoja de Antares), which was nominated for the best motion picture award at this year’s Sitges festival. The film is directed by Luis Tinoco, a visual effects artist making his debut feature with this film. It stars Andrea Trepat, Ferran Vilajosana, and Aleida Torrent.

The story: The film takes place in a single room, involving dedicated astrophysicist Alexandra Baeza, who is working in a Spanish branch of the SETI project. Upon receiving a signal from the Antares system that could herald the confirmation of extraterrestrial intelligence (and which she is required to verify), she receives the news of her father being at death’s door. She faces a dilemma as to whether priority should be given to career or to family.

Composer Bataller has worked on numerous American and Spanish projects. Some of his most notable works include José Luis Alemán’s H.P. Lovecraft-inspired horror films THE VALDEMAR LEGACY (2010) and THE VALDEMAR LEGACY II: THE FORBIDDEN SHADOW (2010), as well as A PERFECT DAY (2015), LIVE TWICE, LOVE ONCE (2019) and the horror film THE VAULT (2021).

Said the composer about his score: “Directing your first film is always tricky, but having it set in a single small room and having mainly one character is a titanic job. In that regard, Luis Tinoco had a clear idea about the importance of the music, always focusing on the big question that Alexandra has to face: what would you choose in a critical situation – your passion, or your family? The score is recorded with The Extremadura Orchestra, piano, and some electronics. The use of the main theme is also a paradox because it’s used to talk about Alex’s feelings about her family, a very intimate and personal situation, but also it is used to talk about extraterrestrial life and our place as human beings in the universe. There is also music to make the drama advance and create tension and expectation. Despite that the movie has a big technological component the music only has a slight touch of electronics, being the piano melodies and the big orchestral tuttis the main use of the score.”

The film made its world premiere at the Austin-based Fantastic Fest in September 2022, with its European premiere held at the 55th Sitges Film Festival’s ‘New Visions’ lineup.

See MovieScore Media for details and sample tracks from the soundtrack.

Watch the film’s trailer (in Spanish with English subtitles):