Phantom Thread is an unusually controlled and precise film from
Paul Thomas Anderson, and it finds its perfect counterpoint in
Jonny Greenwood's score. Within the film,
Greenwood's work seems sumptuous and lush, reflecting the gorgeousness of Reynolds Woodcock's clothes, but listening to the score in isolation as an album reveals moments of tension and dissonance that do not command attention during the film but certainly affect its perception for the audience. That's the brilliance of
Greenwood's music for
Phantom Thread: it is rich and gorgeous, elegant because of its exacting nature, an aesthetic that suits the film to a T.