Comingsoon.net is turning up the volume to find out which movie needledrops are the most irritatingly on-the-nose. Check out our picks in the gallery below!
A movie’s soundtrack is key to establishing all kinds of aspects—the tone, the mood, even the setting can owe their development to the songs that play over the action taking place on-screen. It’s a subtle thing, the art of the movie soundtrack. If you lay the soundtrack on too thick, the end result can be far from subtle.
As a matter of fact, plenty of movies have laid things on way too thick. From action movies to dramas to romances, a heavy-handed song can completely remove the viewer from the immersive experience of moviegoing. It’s a bummer, but there are all kinds of instances of annoyingly on-the-nose songs in movies.
On-the-nose needledrops
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“I’m Just a Girl,” Captain Marvel (2019)
Marvel's Captain Marvel was met with plenty of overly positive and incredibly negative reviews upon its release in March of 2019. One thing that everyone seems to agree on, though, is that the use of "I'm Just a Girl" by No Doubt while Captain Marvel herself fights off hordes of baddies is a bit too easy.
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“Born to Be Wild,” Easy Rider (1969)
Choosing the right song to accompany Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as they travel throughout the American South with drug money is a daunting task. Choosing "Born to Be Wild" proves just how delicate this decision is—unfortunately, this choice leans a bit too heavily into obvious territory.
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“Where Is My Mind,” Fight Club (1999)
A movie that focuses on psychological frailty and shows the dangers of untreated mental illnesses? Better play "Where Is My Mind" by the Pixies at a character's breaking point!
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“Where Is My Mind,” Observe and Report (2009)
Like Fight Club, Seth Rogen vehicle Observe and Report touches on mental illness and toxic masculinity, among other things. So, of course, better play "Where Is My Mind" by the Pixies at a character's breaking point!
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“Running on Empty,” Forrest Gump (1994)
Playing "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne while Forrest Gump runs across the nation is a baffling decision. They would've been better off writing and composing an original song called "Forrest Gump Is Running," honestly.
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“What a Wonderful World,” Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
Of all the words to describe war, "wonderful" certainly belongs nowhere near the top of the list. Unfortunately for the music supervisors for Good Morning Vietnam, playing "What a Wonderful World" in a war movie isn't all that clever.
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“Hallelujah,” Watchmen (2009)
Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is the last song that should be playing in a movie about superheroes who want to play God. The song is regarded as a touchstone of modern hymns, making its inclusion in Watchmen pretty on-the-nose.
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“Kung Fu Fighting,” Kung Fu Panda (2008)
It should be against the law to play "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas in any movie featuring kung fu fighting. Kung Fu Panda included.
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“One,” Magnolia (1999)
Paul Thomas Anderson's sophomore film Magnolia tracks a whole slew of characters in California as they deal with the loneliness of crisis and desperation. "One" by Three Dog Night might make this a little too clear, really hammering the point into the viewer's head.
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“We Are Family,” Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The Mission: Impossible films follow a ragtag bunch of heroes come together to form the Impossible Mission Force. They've spent so much time together, it's almost like they're family. "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge makes this gratingly obvious.
