Toward Onwards and Sideways: A John Madden and Thomas Newman Retrospective
Thomas Newman and John Madden
English film maker John Madden has had a long and storied career across film and television. As the release of his latest film, Onwards and Sideways, approaches (November 6, 2026 in the United Kingdom) so does his fifth collaboration with film composer Thomas Newman. Any visitor to this website will know that I am a huge fan of Newman’s work and as I await his latest score, it has been enjoyable revisiting the previous collaborations with Madden. Madden is a director who has an uncanny ability to find the humanity in the stories that he tells, regardless of the scale of the canvas and his films feature characters with real heart and gumption but who appear real in their reactions, their hopes and their narrative journeys. His skill at working with experienced actors and creating an environment where they can deliver some of their best work is not to be ignored - the canvas of his films allows characters and actors of all ages and experience the opportunity to bebe explored and to explore in a way that seems fresh and challenging and exciting.
The Debt (2010)
A taut and tense thriller following duel timelines in 1965 and 1997, follows Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain), a young Mossad agent in 1965 tasked with the capture of the a Nazi War Criminal Dr. Dieter Vogel. The consequences and truth behind the operation are further explored 32 years later in 1997 as Rachel Singer (now Dame Helen Mirren) faces a reckoning. It’s a film that prior to rewatching, I had only seen once before and it features some incredibly tense sequences and impressive performances from actors who at the time where relatively new on the scene, coupled with performances from classic acting royalty - something Madden excels at across all his films.
A key driver of that tension and the style and atmosphere of the film is Newman’s score. It’s unmistakably Newman but features a dark and sinister edge that he has since explored in other film scores. There is a pleasing range of percussion that makes the score feel like a score of the world - it’s bold and interesting and feel truly global in its aesthetic. It’s a score that he plays tightly to the narrative of the film, often building layers of music upon other layers of music to create atmosphere and tension - the train sequence is the perfect example of this. That tension though is often broken by classic Newman flourishes from the propulsive and cool use of the guitar that would later inform big parts of the Skyfall score to his skilful use of strings and piano to drift effortlessly between tension and darkness and the very real emotion and humanity that exist in these complex and murky scenarios.
Key Tracks
Airplane Open
The opening piece of music from the film, starts like a more dramatic and darker version of Newman Wall-E score. The twinkling and unsettling percussion makes the lowering of the plane door almost sinister in it’s nature and the music hold’s the tension until a character urges others to breathe. We are then straight into opening narrative dialogue to set the scene and the music continues to form a deeply unsettling and jangling baseline. There are the first use of a sinister string motif to create tension and then pay it off with just a second longer of the motif. The twinkling that Newman uses creates that sense of unease and distrust as we are introduced to the characters in both timelines. The music also underscores the reference to the Surgeon of Birkenau ensuring that the motif is then linked with is presence within the film. The remainder of the track forms a sinister underscore that will be key for controlling tension throughout the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N__29HGIvtY
https://open.spotify.com/track/0A8136KKatpnzIUUhoC776?si=b6852d5c4c894448
How To Die (Main Title)
The main title sequence plays out above narrative and after that jangly and sinister opening where the music sows seeds of distrust, the opening theme music includes a brilliant guitar riff that will carry through the film which is suitably supported by strings. It plays out with a focus on Ciaran Hinds character with a suggestion that this is a bit of a tough nut and a seasoned and successful spy with much to offer. Alas, spoilers, he doesn’t last long. The way in which the music works, coupled with the surprising narrative turn, is a great example of musical misdirect. Apart from that, a really cool opening title theme that is thankfully revisited throughout the score, perhaps most thoroughly in the brilliant end title suite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fg-IX0_-0s
https://open.spotify.com/track/4YHmM82U0ZLmIEzSaKyMzy?si=52f8f9023d8a469c
Elsa Roget
This is a powerfully emotive piece of music that begins in an almost ethereal sense before some classic Thomas Newman piano and strings kick in. In a film with so much darkness and pain and violence, this music is like a blessed relief from the narrative darkness. Madden is adept at putting characters in complex and difficult situations but what makes him a skilled director is that he never ignores the emotional heft of that approach. These moments, which this music underscores give heart and humanity to characters, even those in the darkest of places. A reminder that even when we carry the scars of the past - something Mirren’s character clearly does - there can be light, there can be hope and there can be reminders that our humanity is not completely compromised. A really rewarding listening experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvBfvPFAG4A
https://open.spotify.com/track/554Pa6Sl4MJS0T1A45nbmK?si=84d68a7cf8474352
The Debt (End Title)
Newman crafts an 8 minute end credit suite for the film and it’s a brilliant listen. Pulling together the narrative musical strands used throughout the film into a piece that is deeply evocative while also thrilling and tense. The use of a sinister but swift piano coupled with strings elongated to the extreme creates a tense opening which leads brilliantly into the thumping percussion of the middle section of the suite. The conclusion of he piece features some beautifully warm woodwinds which ensure that there is a reminder of that hope and humanity as the credits draw to a close. For such a complex film, this end credit piece feels like a suitably complex and rewarding piece. Newman is said to favour shorter pieces of music, so to have a full 8 minute piece with a range of flavours and textures is a real gift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1d0Q2p-xhk
https://open.spotify.com/track/19XJKGR9vePZKUV3Jf26SV?si=72e5e60e5fa04a61
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)
2012 saw Madden set sail with a whole troupe of British acting legends to the Marigold Hotel. This charming little film became a box office smash with the grey brigade and despite not being in the target market, it’s a film I really enjoyed, perhaps unexpectedly. The film follows a group of somewhat lost older people deciding that an adventure to India to stay at the titular hotel was just the adventure that they needed and we following their many adventures and trials and tribulations. This is peak Madden, giving an audience some of their most beloved actors and bringing them altogether in a story that is easy to be caught up in and as characters that are easy to fall in love with. The sequel followed in 2025 and continued the story of most of the characters from the first film, with added complications and perhaps a little emotional sting in the tale at the conclusion of the film. While a sequel always runs the risk of diminishing outcomes and quality, the chemistry and passion of the entire cast sweep the audience along once more.
Thomas Newman scored both films and his albums for both are Indian adventures to the fullest. While unmistakably Newman, they both feature a range of Indian influences in terms of instruments. Newman clearly thrives in this Indian sandbox as he returns in later scores to varying degrees like Victoria and Abdul, Elemental and The Thursday Murder Club. Both Marigold scores capture the adventure, charm and beauty of the experience the characters are discovering throughout the films. There is something so skilful about Newman’s music that he captures the mystery but also the heart of the experience. And for a pair of films about older people, there is so much energy packed into these scores. Again, to return to the collaboration between Madden and Newman, there is a power behind the music that shows Madden understands what a Newman score can do; it provides layers of cinematic power that carries scenes, characters and visuals toward something super engaging for an audience. I’m not sure how well this is worded but I suppose it’s something akin to the idea of a map of the world - one of Newman’s title tracks - that open a door for an audience to somewhere that might not be accessible but through the power of film music they experience it in a different way, the look, the feel, that sense of realness - a score that truly envelopes the listener and the audience and is a hell of a lot of fun along the way.
Key Tracks
Long Old Life
A classic Newman opening title track but, well, it’s not just one foot in Indian musical culture, but all in. With that a through line dominated by the sitar, this is a quirky piece that quickly embraces a range of percussion as we are introduced to the various characters, their situations and their impending journeys to India - it progresses to a full on Indian groove adding life and energy to the situation unfolding on screen. It’s another great example of that Madden/Newman collaboration that uses music in the right places for the right reasons - this is pure character and pure narrative combined as the energy contrasts with the very changing images on screen as our characters are transported from grey and dour towards adventure and excitement. Opening title sequences are important in setting the scene for what is about to come, this does so perfectly, embracing that Indian setting to create a musical and cultural journey for our characters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W2hD_uyGrE
https://open.spotify.com/track/0CLlfCb5SI07ASYH2Zx28h?si=cf7879d32ea847b2
The Chimes at Midnight
This track continues that progress but goes a step further than just chronicling the physical journey and instead Newman uses a lighter palate with twinkling percussion and soothing vocals to explore the spiritual and personal journeys the characters are now taking. The plucked strings add a nice sense of propulsion through the track but it is never aggressive or forceful and instead feels like the music is enveloping you as a listener in the hope that you understand the experience of the characters. Music to relax too, get lost in and think about the things that matter to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzL5htaCYNQ
https://open.spotify.com/track/0IL8ByJnAfEU52ZtQETKZ7?si=dd6d087b73ec465b
Assault On the Senses
This feels like the strongest piece of music in the film and with a wild range of Indian instrumentation, it still feels like classic Thomas Newman. In fact, I would go as far to suggest that it reminds me of some of his fine work on his award winning American Beauty score. There is a range of whistles and twinkles and chirps throughout the piece but despite there being a huge amount going on, it never rushes the listener. It’s a piece of music that twins perfectly with what is unfolding narrative wise as characters who believed the door to new adventure to be closed are embracing the wonders of their new Indian home. A powerful message from Madden in the film about never being too old to embrace the new, the different, the exotic and Newman has crafted a piece that captures that sense of wonder beautifully, and never allows the pace to get carried away. We watch as characters savour every moment and as listeners, exposed to a wonderful array of instrumentation, we understand that sense of wonder at the new.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDZKwGP0u0M
https://open.spotify.com/track/0iw1qDMC9g7ZrF2aMx8mYS?si=41c2560cc7c04847
Second Best Exotic
The second film begins with a piece very different to the first because this is not about making that initial journey but basking in the joy of having done so. There is a powerful vocal performance throughout this track that Newman merges with twinkling percussion and the most soothing and gentle of strings. The Indian influence remains front and centre and this piece has more in common with the Chimes at Midnight track above, it’s about embracing that inner peace and feeling excitement about what could be possible. It’s gentle but stirring, subtle but powerful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWTW3hbYn6A
https://open.spotify.com/track/6ojR74Z8FXEq3WvtUQuV0d?si=da470fff77794929
Aaina
A super short minute long track that I just had to include. This is a little twinkling music box piece with a short flush of strings at the end. It’s just a lovely piece of music that reminds me of some of Newman’s work on A Series of Unfortunate Events with an almost fairytale like feel. One to enjoy all too briefly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLYpIGIqE2k
https://open.spotify.com/track/5IaedvX1w1Rm9D6WWeLWNd?si=2ff94ae9181b492d
Wedding
This is a glorious and extended piece of music that once again leans heavily into the impressive combination of vocal and music. There is a warmth to this pieces that works so well in the film as characters embrace the joy of the central narrative wedding and other character arcs converge and reach their conclusion. It is almost dream like at moments which compliments Madden’s warm and colourful direction in this scene in the film. The music helps control the pace of the scene and never allows it to feel like a swiftly executed montage, but instead a pensive and reflective exploration of character. Keen not to share spoilers but the latter part of the track focused on the loss of a character as they reach the end of their life and does so in such an affectionate and respectful manner. Again, the Madden/Newman collaboration is front and centre here as the filmmaker explores that situation with real dignity and finds truth and honesty in a film all about embracing life, Newman never cheapens the impact of the moment refraining from anything overtly emotional but instead crafting something so fitting with both the character and Madden’s dignified direction of the narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBYSxsSplP0
https://open.spotify.com/track/5mbtlmq0B264em1ttY6EZ1?si=35a6ca66b0134e59
Map of the World (End Credits)
Considering how the film ends - real mix of emotions for all characters and then by extension, the audience - this is a vocal heavy closing credit suite. The music is soft and tender and delicate and Newman creates the musical space for real reflection. I suppose that is the crux of this collaboration with Madden, to push and challenge the audience to relate to, connect with and connect with life in all its shades. After about two and a half minutes, Newman reminds us of those shades that in sadness and loss, we should search for life and hope. A vibrant, again vocal heavy conclusion to the piece is vibrant, energetic and full of colour. The perfect musical conclusion for these two films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ22PjZ4a5c
https://open.spotify.com/track/5A1VDGSe8VoYpoM5GUI9tI?si=10327670abb74d40
Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Another thrilled but one with a both a more historical angle and a touch or two of humour. Madden returned to film making after five years with a stellar British cast to explore one of the great so wild it must be true stories from the Second World War. Based in Ben McIntryre’s book of the same name, the film follows the real life figures of Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) as they seek to convince German high command that their planned attack is happening at a completely different location, with only a dead body and the power of words and stories as their weapons. It’s a very enjoyable film with so many elements - historical thriller, comedy, romance and male friendship. Madden skillfully manages a tone that could have been uncontrollable in lesser hands and never lets any of these varied elements overshadow or dominates the other elements. There are some incredibly funny yet tense scenes with some great performances from his cast. Penelope Wilton appears initially as the very traditional efficient English busy body that all functioning offices require but Madden supports her to add real layers to the character of Hester Leggatt, in particular during a powerful scene involving the reading of a letter she has written. The film’s climax is a masterclass in tension and poignant drama and is a real tour de force in bringing all those complex elements together to produce an emotive and - as referenced previously - very human conclusion despite the grand scale and grand consequences.
Madden clearly relies heavily on Newman for support with controlling the tone and narrative thrust of the film. His score is broad and sweeping at points, intimate and small at other times. Bring British and based on the Second World War, brass plays a key role in the score. Whether adding pomp and propulsion or slowing things down to create a somber or mysterious tone, it drives the score. The cello is a vital cog in this score playing a key role in two of my favourite tracks - explored in more detail below - that a thematically connected through the score. There are skillful developments of pure tension via music as well as light and fun tracks that wind at the absurdity of the situation while Madden lets Newman loose with piano and strings to create moments of real character based emotion. The skillful control Madden has of the narrative tones is reflected in the work by Newman throughout the score - director and composer completely in sync resulting in music that becomes essential to the beating heart of the film.
Key Tracks
Submarine Rises
The opening track from both the film and the score album begins with a simple and subtle piano motif - this will be the espionage and operation motif throughout the film - with atmospheric synths. The piano motif begins to develop into something fuller while never losing that sense of mystery and intrigue while slowly being accompanied by strumming guitars and almost ticking percussion until the dramatic strings kick in. The strings overwhelm the piano motif before working perfectly in tandem with the increased percussion to capture the dramatic moment the war ships approach their destination. Within the film, this opening track is complemented with the sound of the typewriter beginning the film, an opening VoiceOver from Ian Fleming (Jonny Flynn). After the dramatic flourish, we return to that simple and effective piano motif to close out the track - Madden asking Newman to remind the viewer via his music that this is not a war film fought on the traditional battle front but in bunkers, hidden away in the shadows and the piano motif captures that combination of espionage and tension perfectly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsajs5ZwRV8
https://open.spotify.com/track/1Neyk5fAL8qkpSrFuuW045?si=e95043c6c5804bf6
Room 13
This is a very British piece of music and captures a wonderful piece in the film where the Operation room is set up by the character of Hester in Room 13. It’s a sweeping and fun piece with quick strings with a lightness of touch with a swift little pace interspersed with little brass flourishes that contribute to both the swift little pace and the very Britishness of the track. The brass builds towards the end of the track which ends of a fun little climax as the characters walk through a set of doors. It’s nowhere near Newman’s most substantial piece of music but there’s a fun lightness of touch that really supports Madden in balancing the range of tones within the film. You’ll struggle to listen to this track without tapping your feet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa4UE9L_Mcg
https://open.spotify.com/track/3WReJnN1kUJllGnDIahvoa?si=594c50179d5b4753
Last Lovely Golden Day
I’ll be up front, this isn’t just one of my favourite pieces of Newman must from the film, but of all his films. There is something powerful about it that perfectly twins with an emotional moment in the film as the characters read a letter written to support their ruse. However, the letter - about love and happiness - perhaps exposes the very human cost of their operation and what is now missing from their lives, with love only existing within the fiction of their operation. Midway through the reading of the letter, this beautiful piece of music begins with a solemn and heartbreakingly soft cello with the most lush and controlled use of strings accompanied by Newman’s always skillful use of subtle piano. It really is the perfect combination of these instruments which goes on to form the theme for these collective characters and the hope they have within the operation and this theme is explored further in a fuller form later in the film. I will never tire of this piece of music with its restrained beauty and emotion insightfully capturing the character arcs crafted by Madden within the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N068lp8demM
https://open.spotify.com/track/2DBi5LFzbgb3ijFZGXAauK?si=3adebc468eab46ff
Operation Mincemeat
This track is a six minute masterclass in creating and releasing tension via film music. And makes a brilliant counterpoint with the opening track Submarine Rises. The piano motif returns to begin the track within swirling and mysterious percussion which in itself, slowly begins to drive the track forward with a steady layering of percussion as the pace of the piano motif begins to increase. Skillful use of music to emphasise the ticking clock nature of the sequence within the film. Swirling and metallic percussion then begins to drown out the piano motif with an almost horror music sounding burst with that ever present percussive clock tick deep within the track. Brass then builds to a flourish before returning to our slower piano motif as we approach the track’s conclusion. The strings become more pronounced and dominant within the track and finally work in tandem with the brass and percussion with a finally and heroic flourish which then descends into a troubling soundscape which suggests calamity and then finally returning to that piano motif to soberly finish the track. It’s such a rich piece of film music and one that rewards careful listening as the tension builds between layers of music while never forgetting that underlying motif to keep the dramatic narrative framed within the view of those characters. Six minutes worth investing in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rRkthAxI1M
https://open.spotify.com/track/1FdV1hQL5p3uL7DxPXOiIv?si=300d02d73fc44213
Limited Casualties
Following that unrelenting tension of the previous track, the listener/viewer needs some sort of confusion emotional release at the film nears its climax. This track is a work of real power and beauty - beginning with very subtle strings and piano with the most delicate hint of doom, the music lulls the audience into the idea that something may have gone wrong with the operation, however, those strings quickly warm up leading into a cello solo of that wonderful theme from last Lovely Golden Day but this time in a far fuller and warmer form. Soon the heroic use of brass and strings sweep into the accompany the cello in the theme and the combination is best described as rousing and heroic and emotional - a truly rewarding and lush conclusion with the building brass highlighting the heroics with the strings covering the emotion of the successful operation for all involved. The track isn’t finished there, following those strings and brass, Newman pulls it right back to that character theme on piano with the somber keys ringing the last of the emotion and relief from the situation for those characters who have come to understand have sacrificed much for the success of this operation. A beautiful piece of music that gets to the heart of the collaboration between Madden and Newman, never over showy, never needlessly dominating but music that gets to the very heart of what the film is really about - people and the courage and sacrifice they are willing to show for the greater good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1L1Z5q9xxo
https://open.spotify.com/track/7jJQBGU1DnatsQZLqODO8R?si=52767bc5baf74876
Onwards and Sideways (2026)
A fifth collaboration between John Madden and Thomas Newman is now on the horizon. Onwards and Sideways starring Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney will be released in UK cinemas on 6 November 2026. The initial announcement of the release highlighted the continuing Madden/Newman collaboration while early (very positive) reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival have described Newman’s score as “soaring”, “melodic” and “emotional”. The film follows the growing friendship between two characters diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the same time, with a narrative sure to be filled with heartfelt humour and emotion, the music will likely play a key part in the audience experience. One early review highlighted a piece of music written for one of the character’s ballet classes as incredibly powerful and moving.
(A full Onwards and Sideways score review will follow)
Film music fans have around five weeks to wait until more collaborative magic from Madden and Newman.