"The Relic" Score: A Missed Opportunity? Monster Movie Sounds That Could've Been So Much More

Alright, soundtrack junkies, let's talk The Relic (1997). Creature feature goodness, right? Giant bug-lizard thing terrorizing a museum... prime material for a killer score. And don't get me wrong, John Debney's music exists, but I've always felt it was a bit...lacking? Am I alone here? I've always had a hunch that the movie suffered from the score's shortcomings Think about it. The atmosphere in that museum, those dark hallways, the growing sense of dread... the score should have been dripping with tension, hinting at the primal savagery of the Kothoga. Instead, we get a fairly generic action-horror score. There are moments, sure. When Vincent D'Onofrio's character, Dr. Barnes, is explaining the Mbwun, the music gets a bit more interesting, tries (and sometimes fails) to convey the weight of ancient mysteries and the dangers of tampering with nature. But for a monster movie needing a bold, distinctive, musical voice, its score is bland. The thing is, I honestly believe there's a suppressed, really great monster movie scoring lying dormant within The Relic. The story, and the monster, had the potential for something truly memorable. Look at Elliot Goldenthal's work with "Interview with a Vampire"; even though the films may differ in theme, it shows Debney could have applied a similar dark-romantic flair to his work, particularly in the scenes where Margo Green is exploring the Kothoga mythos. But I'm left wondering if maybe Debney was perhaps influenced by studio mandates, and didn't have the creative freedom to fully embrace the primal horror. Either way, I think it contributed heavily to why the film itself is only just "okay" and forgettable. I think Debney could have leaned heavily into tribal drums and chants for example, contrasting it with moments of sophisticated, suspenseful strings during the museum investigation. Give us a sonic representation of the monster's essence, not just generic "scary music." Maybe even some subtle, unsettling vocalizations interwoven into the score. That would've elevated the whole experience. It's frustrating because the ingredients were all there, but the execution just didn't quite land. Anyone else wish another composer had been tapped for this one? Let me know what you think!