‘To rethink the entire sound of Mission: Impossible – that was our mission'

Time of India

5 hours ago

By - R. Prashanth Vidyasagar
Imagine being handed the keys to a 27-year-old action juggernaut. The engine's roaring, the controls are bubbling like a submarine alarm, and
is already halfway up the side of a plane.
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Your job? Redesign the whole interior, but don't touch the upholstery. That's pretty much what composers Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey signed up for on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – the finale to the blockbuster spy saga.
The composers tell us that their mission wasn't just about writing fabulous action music. 'It was about rethinking the entire sound of one of Hollywood's most iconic franchises, without losing what made it click in the first place,' they say.
In this exclusive chat with Bangalore Times, the duo unpacks their wild 13-month journey, one that turned geography into harmony, stress into orchestration, and proved that, yes, sometimes the only thing standing between chaos and cohesion is a perfectly timed flute. Excerpts:
'It wasn't just about mood; the geography actually shaped the sound'
From day one, director Christopher McQuarrie gave them a clear rule: the music has to reflect the place. 'That became our North Star,' says Max.
'Every major location got its own musical colour: South Africa, the submarine, Mount Weather. It wasn't just about 'mood' anymore. The geography actually shaped the sound,' he says.'And it works, even if you don't consciously notice it. You feel it. If a scene cuts from a frozen military base to a chaotic hideout, the music's already led you there,' Alfie adds.
'Every beat needed a countermelody, harmony, something to make even Mission: Impossible's sound feel human'
The Mission franchise has a reputation for heavy rhythm bongos, that unmistakable 5/4 groove, but Max and Alfie didn't want to just hit the drums and call it a day.
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'With this one, the drums couldn't carry the weight on their own. Every beat needed something next to it, a countermelody, some harmony, something that made it feel human,' says Max. They point to the film's big aerial finale, storm, chaos and emotion as one of the toughest and most rewarding cues to crack.
'That was one of the last ones we finished,' says Alfie. 'We tried using snares in this emotional moment, which sounds crazy, but it worked.
It brought this weird intimacy to the scene.'
Director Christopher McQuarrie gave us a clear rule: the music has to reflect the place. It wasn't just about 'mood' anymore. The geography actually shaped the sound
—Max Aruj
'Nothing about scoring Mission: Impossible felt normal'
Max still remembers getting the call. 'I was shocked,' he says. 'I had this 90-minute meeting with director Christopher McQuarrie. I thought it went well, but didn't expect a callback. The second I got the news, I told my parents. Then I started figuring out how to move my whole studio setup to London.' Alfie, who's based in East London, was technically on home turf, but that didn't make things feel any less surreal.
'I was home,' he says, 'but nothing about the next year felt normal.
' The two worked out of the same building as the director, editors, and producers, an unusual setup in the world of blockbusters. 'It felt like a regular job,' Alfie laughs. 'Lunch breaks, meetings, some kind of rhythm. Until the deadline started breathing down our necks.'
'Sometimes you just trust it'll all come together in the end. That's what makes it mission possible'
Outside of the film, Max wants to write a musical. 'Something live, collaborative.
It's a different kind of rush.' Alfie's thinking more retro: a big band album. 'I love that Sinatra-era warmth. I'd love to go deep on that.' If they weren't doing music? Max says he wishes he could draw. 'I love visual stuff, but I'm terrible at it.' Alfie wants to run a restaurant. 'Not to cook just to walk around and offer people more parmesan.
That's the dream.' Looking ahead, Max is heading into the world of video games with a new project at Polygon Pictures.
Alfie shares he's finally taking a break. 'This job taught me that there's no one way to do things. Sometimes you lead with melody, sometimes chords, sometimes just noise' Alfie says. 'And sometimes,' Max adds, 'you just trust it'll all come together in the end. That's what makes it mission possible.'
'Scoring the eighth and final film was like walking a tightrope'
Scoring the eighth and final film in a franchise with a theme as iconic as Mission: Impossible meant walking a tightrope, says Alfie.
'That balance reinventing without breaking was McQ's (director Christopher McQuarrie) job,' says Max. 'At first, he said, 'Give me something new.' So we went emotional. Then a few weeks later: 'Where's the Mission stuff?' So, we had to blend the two.'
Alfie adds, 'That tension actually helped. We weren't just copying. We were figuring out how to evolve it.' The duo adds that this is a 'score that sneaks up on you'. 'By the time you hit the third act of The Final Reckoning, chances are you're too caught up in the action to think about the score.
But that's kind of the point,' says Max. 'By the tenth watch, I wasn't analysing anymore,' says Max. 'I was just in it. That's when you know it's working.
'
Scoring the eighth and final film in a franchise with a theme as iconic as Mission: Impossible meant walking a tightrope. But, that tension actually helped
— Alfie Godfrey
What do blockbuster composers really listen to on their days off?
Their playlists aren't what you'd expect. 'Slipknot,' says Max, no hesitation. 'The layers in their percussion? It's chaos, but it's tight. That's not far off from scoring a movie.' Alfie's pick? Béla Fleck. 'His mandolin stuff is so expressive and weirdly emotional.
It's just inspiring to see someone do that with strings.' Asked which band they'd join if they could, Max picks Brandi Carlile's. Alfie picks the Beatles.
'I know, predictable. But come on, it's the Beatles.'
By the time you hit the third act of Final Reckoning, chances are you're too caught up in the action to think about the score. But that's kind of the point
—Max Aruj
How would Max and Alfie score a chase scene in the Kodagu forests?
So, how would they score a chase scene in India's lush Kodagu forests? 'Right away, I'm hearing twigs snapping that's already percussion,' Max says. 'Then probably a flute for lyricism, some tablas for drive. Add strings to give it some emotional width.'
Alfie shares, 'That's the fun part, you just start building a whole sonic world from textures.'