Five Raindance Revelations with Gem Batuman for ‘The Killing Moon’

For composer Gem Batuman, crafting fear means finding the right balance between tension, atmosphere and emotional unease. A psychiatrist as well as a musician, Batuman brought a distinctive perspective to The Killing Moon, director Daniel Bogran’s psychological thriller about a wealthy couple whose secluded getaway descends into manipulation, jealousy and escalating danger.

Premiering internationally at Raindance Film Festival on 21 June, the film showcases a score built around warped vocals, percussive rhythms and mounting anxiety.

As part of our Five Raindance Revelations series, Batuman discusses the films and composers that shaped his creative outlook, the lessons learned from scoring his first feature, and why sometimes the most effective musical choices are the simplest ones.

Gem Batuman composer for ‘The Killing Moon’

1. Tell us about your film and why you felt Raindance would be a great place to unleash it on London and the UK.

The Killing Moon is a thriller about a wealthy couple’s vacation getaway that’s interrupted by a stranger showing up wounded at their door. I composed the score for the film, and tried to create a tense, anxiety-inducing sound, with a lot of percussion and warped vocals. I think Raindance is a perfect place to showcase the unconventional score because it embodies the kind of artistic risk-taking that Raindance has championed. Also London is the epicenter of music, culture, and iconic bands, including Echo and the Bunnymen, from which the film got its title.

2. What moment made you realise you wanted to create films, not just watch them?

I loved Johns Williams ever since watching Star Wars and Harry Potter, but I think it was Jon Brion’s music in Eternal Sunshine that made me want to compose music for films. Then hearing the works of Trent Reznor and then Johnny Greenwood in their movie soundtracks really made me realize how interesting and creative film music could be.

3. What’s one film that fundamentally changed the way you think about cinema?

There Will Be Blood changed the way I viewed film scores. Instead of sweeping orchestral pieces that were very classical in nature, Johnny Greenwood’s score had a lot of dissonance, layered percussion, and polyrhythms, that sounded really fresh and different.

4. If you could collaborate with anyone in film history, who would unlock the most exciting project for you?

I’d love to collaborate with Dennis Villeneuve. His films are incredible at creating atmosphere and immersive worlds, and I think the most exciting film music isn’t just emotional accompaniment, but part of the world-building itself. Also, if he were alive, David Lynch, because his worlds are so strange and unsettling and dreamlike, and that’s the kind of vibe I like to create with music.

5. What’s something making this film revealed about yourself that you didn’t know before?

I learned a lot about the collaborative process when working on this film. I wasn’t just making music that I personally liked, but something that supported the vision of the film itself. I also learned that I sometimes overcomplicate things and try to make something really elaborate, when often simpler ideas worked better. It’s kind of a process where you have to set your ego aside and let go of musical ideas that didn’t support the scene as well.

From the orchestral magic of John Williams to the boundary-pushing work of Jon Brion, Trent Reznor and Johnny Greenwood, Gem Batuman’s influences reflect a fascination with film music that dares to be different. His work on The Killing Moon demonstrates that same willingness to experiment, creating a score that aims to unsettle audiences as much as the story itself.

We thank Gem for taking part in Five Raindance Revelations and wish him and the team behind The Killing Moon every success at Raindance and beyond.

The film screens again at Vue Piccadilly on 25 June, giving festival audiences another chance to experience its tense psychological drama and distinctive soundscape. For more information and tickets to see it, visit: raindance.eventive.org/films/the-killing-moon

The Killing Moon trailer