James Newton Howard

The Profile

James Newton Howard is an American composer, conductor, and record producer best known for film and television scores, including long-running collaborations with M. Night Shyamalan and acclaimed works such as The Sixth Sense, The Fugitive, and The Village.

Frequent collaborator with M. Night Shyamalan; composer of the ER theme; co-composer of The Dark Knight; multiple Academy Award nominations.

Hellring celebrates James Newton Howard’s The Village OST as a moving, atmospheric score that stands on its own. The review spotlights Hilary Hahn’s violin, the tension-and-release writing, and standout tracks like The Gravel Road and The Vote. It frames Howard as a master of cinematic music and calls the album a mystical journey—independent of debate over Shyamalan’s film.