Composer Ariel Marx is dominating the film industry. Since the last time we spoke during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival (on behalf of her documentary Rebel Hearts), I’ve seen her name pop up in the credits section more and more frequently, proving herself to be the latest composer in demand for both the big and small screen.

You might’ve heard her score in the ABC series A Small Light or Hulu’s Candy (which was ranked #3 in Indiewire’s Best TV scores of 2022). Or in one of my favorite indie films of the last five years, Utopia’s Shiva Baby. Most recently, and arguably garnering the most eyeballs and eardrums on any film to date, Marx lends her genre-bending arsenal of sounds to NEON’s erotic thriller, Sanctuary. 

Sanctuary, directed by film critic-turned-filmmaker Zachary Wigon, is a risque dark comedy that follows a dominatrix (Margaret Qualley) and her wealthy client (Christopher Abbott) as they engage in a high-stakes role-playing game for power and control. The psychological thriller (which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival) tells a highly contentious story about exposing skeletons buried deep in one’s closet.

In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal (Abbott) attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca (Qualley). A battle of wills ensues throughout one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling to keep the upper hand as the power dynamics swing wildly back and forth.

Cinemacy is excited to premiere “She’s In Control Now”, from NEON’s Sanctuary, below:

The juxtaposition between the film’s raunchy storyline and the wholesome nature of the score creates friction that feels cheeky in all the right ways. Using strings and wind instruments gives the film an old-school persona that sounds like a counterpart to a romance film from the 40s.

Says Marx of her creative process, “Writing the score for Sanctuary was delightfully like living in a twisted, romantic fever dream. It was a composer’s playground — the music somersaults between comedy, romance, horror, and erotic thriller. Many thanks to Zach Wigon, Micah Bloomberg, David Lancaster, and Stephanie Wilcox for encouraging such a bold score.”

Proving to be an industry mainstay, Marx’s ability to combine orchestral and rare instruments with electronics makes her sound unique. An eclectic composer and multi-instrumentalist, Ariel Marx is a member of the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, and is a Sundance Film Music and Sound Design Lab alumn. In addition to scoring to picture, she is also a solo artist, having recently released her solo album “Luthier” with Node Records.

Lakeshore Records is releasing the ‘Sanctuary’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Friday, May 26th.

‘Sanctuary’ is now playing in theaters everywhere.