Film scores range from experimental sounds ('Arrival') to simple, hushed restraint ('A Monster Calls')

Many of this year's notable film scores are the work of relative newcomers to Hollywood, with a few established veterans (as ever) in the mix. The scores range from experimental sound worlds for alien visitors to more traditional, symphonic approaches for more familiar galactic friends. In this roundup of highlights, science fiction is a major presence -- a genre that often calls for innovative and interesting music. But several dramas based on recent events also inspired scores that cut to the heart, or subvert emotional expectations. Last year, Howard Shore, the Oscar-winning composer of the "Lord of the Rings" films, scored the uncovering of a vile truth in "Spotlight" with a dogged piano theme.