Mark Kermode's Surround Sound

by Mark Kermode, Jenny Nelson

How can a film score make you cheer, shiver, cry or punch the air?
How do directors communicate their musical vision to composers?
And when does a soundtrack take on a life of its own?

Award-winning film critic Mark Kermode and radio producer Jenny Nelson embark on a full-throttle trip down the glorious rabbit hole of film composition to answer these questions and more.

Celebrating the emotional connection that audiences form with film music, exploring the evolution of film scoring from silent films to the present day, and examining how what we hear has an impact on what we see, Mark talks to some of his favourite composers and delves into the movie music he loves.

Including interviews with extraordinary talents from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood to Oscar-winning composers Rachel Portman and Howard Shore, and the stories behind iconic soundtracks such as Jocelyn Pook’s Eyes Wide Shut, Michael Kamen’s Brazil and Vangelis’s Blade Runner, Mark Kermode’s Surround Sound is a thrilling take on how great scores are brought to life on the silver screen.

Genres: Music

371 pages, Hardcover

Published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Matthew Yeldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant guide to film scores — the history, the highlights, the could-have-beens, the inspirations, and the artistry. It’s very educational, and as a cinephile, the book made me see some of my favourite films in a whole new light. Kermode’s the man.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Kermode (with co author Jenny Nelson) telling you interesting things about movie scores/sound tracks. Maybe one for the more invested cinephile but I like Mark Kermode and have an interest in the music in films so it was a good read for me.

[Alvaro Zinos-Amaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly wonderful, with a really engaging structure and truly deep cuts.

No matter how much you know about film scores, you'll learn something.

Shame shame shame on the publishers for not featuring Jenny Nelson's name as co-author on the cover.

[Jules Flack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating insight into the history of film sound and music. The chapters on Vangelis/Blade Runner (my all time favourite film), Ennio Morricone and Angelo Badalamenti were particularly excellent.

[Henry Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as wonderful as Kermode's last book, but he remains just a delightful read. So knowledgeable, so generous, but so unpretentious. Just such solid stuff.