Danny Boyle's sun-drenched sci-fi is arguably his most underrated film. Where cult-status has come out of Trainspotting and award recognition out of Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine lies in limbo, achieving neither but somewhat deserving of both. Matching the sheer enormity of the mission that drives its plot, John Murphy's score (recorded initially by British electronic group Underworld) lends an atmospheric, celestial ambience to the film. Murphy's work is at its most effective when the characters are exposed to the vastness of space. In particular, 'Kaneda's Death Part II' manages to capture the hopelessness of a situation whilst acknowledging the beauty of the moment. It captures the emotions of the characters in a truly unique way, almost as if to close your eyes would leave you no less aware of the action taking place on-screen. Many pieces in Sunshine's score have been used for subsequent projects, but never does it feel more natural than with this film's stunning visuals. The Sun, given its omnipresence throughout the film, is personified by Alwin Kircher's majestic cinematography, but it is through the claustrophobic enormity of the score that this titular character is given its voice.
