Trent Reznor’s five favorite films of all time
Scanning the list of musical names that will no doubt go down in the annals of pop culture history, there’s another ubiquitous idol that deserves some attention. Trent Reznor may have become an alt-rock icon with Nine Inch Nails, propagating an industrialized vision of grunge’s most chilling moments, but the singer-songwriter has continued to transcend to become a mainstay in Hollywood by his the work provided countless scores and soundtracks for his canon. It is all the more interesting to find out your favorite films of all time.
Trying to pick your five favorite movies is usually a task left to a day with no schedule. Most of us have woven such a maze of cinematic tunnels through experience that a day with no other chores is an integral part of compiling such a list. However, artists like Trent Reznor are mostly asked on the spot and without prior notice. It can cause their decisions to be a little off. However, Reznor hits the target every time.
One thing worth noting, for a musician who has spent most of his creative life working on the fringes of socially accepted art, are Reznor’s choices, shall we say, a little safe? That’s not to say they aren’t great films, but they certainly are the safer side of Leftfield.
Speak with graffitiReznor was open about his favorite films, picking some classics: “That’s another tough question, but some of my favorites would be [David Lynch’s] blue velvet, [Stanley Kubrick’s] 2001: A Space Odyssey and [Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic] taxi driver.”
However, Reznor chose a film that not only was a perfect piece of cinema in his eyes, but whose tone inspired him to write two entire albums. “David Cronenberg’s dead wrestlers But it’s a five-star movie,” said Reznor graffiti. “That just went through my head. The tone of Cronenberg’s films is amazing, especially this one. It was very inspirational for me while writing some albums – The downward spiral and The fragile.”
It’s not the first and won’t be the last time a film can inspire a song. Reznor shared his thoughts on why the film had such an impact on his work: “It’s like that feeling of dread when you’re not sure what’s going to happen but you realize it’s just not going to work out. There will be no happy ending and that’s what I was referring to. His sense of body horror really touched a primal instinct in me. I said almost [Cronenberg’s] videodrome but that’s more of a guilty pleasure… I love that movie too.”
There is no doubt that Trent Reznor’s name will be inextricably linked to the great stone plaque of rock music’s greatest icons. But as his film career continues to grow, he may find himself on two separate mantels. If you’re looking for the movies Reznor himself loves the most, feel free to add them to your essential watch list below.
Trent Reznor’s five favorite films of all time:
- blue velvet – David Lynch
- 2001: A Space Odyssey -Stanley Kubrick
- taxi driver – Martin Scorsese
- videodrome – David Kronenberg
- dead wrestlers – David Kronenberg
