True, Elfman did mature greatly when he made the big leap into film scoring after his Oingo Boingo days. What's more is Elfman's changeover from scoring tremendously orchestral, thematic scores in the early 1990s to composing more dramatic, eerie scores in the late 90s. With every new project, Elfman takes a more mystical, dark, and withdrawn approach to film scoring. Good Will Hunting , A Civil Action , and A Simple Plan . As for Instinct , this score makes the orchestral grandeur of Batman , Dick Tracy , and Edward Scissorhands seem more distant than ever.
Cohesion is at a loss.
It's times like these when the listener misses those days when Elfman created strong, unforgettable themes. At best, the lack of theme does create a mysterious score for a mysterious movie. It emphasizes the film's basis on struggle for the truth and the certainty. The average listener will probably get the impression that Elfman is holding back on melody development for a grand finale. The score is a seemingly short 38 minutes, and suddenly ends without achieving that satisfying finale.