Bring the noise: 20 legendary cinematic sound effects

One of the things that sets Star Wars apart is the sophistication of its sound design. For example, no one who has heard the TIE Fighter's sinister sound is likely to forget it. There is something innately menacing about the way that these ships sound, which can sound more like a howl than the sound that one would expect to come from such a streamlined piece of military equipment. Something about it seems to touch on the fear part of the viviewer'srain, and it is yet another indication of just how evil and repressive the Empire remains.

The sound of a cat screaming is a seemingly ubiquitous part of the Hollywood soundscape. It emerges in all kinds of films — sometimes in horror but sometimes in a regular film that just needs the sound to add a bit of atmosphere. More often than not, it’s simply meant to add a little dash of humor to a scene that might otherwise be violent (such as a car crash). It’s one of those sounds that most people seem to take for granted, particularly since the cat in question is so rarely seen but only heard. One can only hope the poor feline survives whatever startled it. 

Scream remains one of the most successful horror franchises, a testament to Wes Craven’s enduring influence on the genre. Even though the brutal slashings are, of course, the centerpiece of every film, it’s also impossible to think of these films without thinking about the use of the voice changer that makes it impossible to determine who is making so many sinister phone calls. In its own way, this particular sound effect is as much a part of the franchise as its stars (including Neve Campbell) and the Ghostface mask. After all, the call coming from inside the house wouldn’t have so much power if it weren’t for the distortion. 

The giant ape still casts his spell nearly a century after the first King Kong film premiered. Not only is the giant ape a marvel of 1930s Hollywood special effects, but his roar still has the power to chill the blood. Part of it is the sheer volume, which works with his imposing stature to convey just how much of a force of nature he is here on the island that he calls home. In the film’s imagination, he is the ultimate example of the colonial other, something that is purely wild and can never really be tamed, even if, in the end, he is brought to destruction by the power of human technology.

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings is epic in all senses of the word and combines a beautiful visuality with a textured and complex sound design. To take just one example, it makes remarkable use of the screams and cries emitted by the Nazgûl, the nine men who were corrupted by Sauron and now serve as his minions. Just as in the novels, this sound strikes fear into the hearts of the hobbits and men who hear it, as it is something so far beyond the human as to be terrifying. Aside from anything else, it is also a reminder of just how far these men have fallen beyond their former mortal identities and into Sauron’s pernicious influence.

Anyone who has seen a film set in the medieval period or some fantastical setting is no doubt familiar with the sound a sword makes when it emerges from a sheath. It’s very often a clear, metallic sound, and it serves an important function of announcing an imminent act of violence or valor. Like many other sound effects in Hollywood, it’s not a sound a sword would typically make in the real world since most sheaths are made of leather, but this doesn’t detract from its auditory power. Indeed, it contributes to the sense that, in the movies, one is entering a world where the standard rules of the real world simply don’t apply.

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is undoubtedly a feast for the eyes, but it also features a remarkably sophisticated sound design, with each of the dinosaurs getting its unique sound. Anyone who has seen the film will surely remember the unique screech of the velociraptors, who terrorize those who have visited the island (and devour several of them). It’s almost birdlike in its ferocity, and, along with their croak, it reminds the viewer (and the characters) that these creatures are formidably intelligent, so much so that they are even able to communicate across long distances. It’s one of those things that has also remained remarkably consistent across the franchise’s history, and it testifies to the enduring power of the raptors.

War films succeed as much based on their sound design as they do their visuals. Most viewers can probably think of at least one instance where a whistling sound accompanies the dropping of a bomb before the device strikes the ground and explodes. As with so many other stock sound effects, this isn't a particularly accurate depiction of what a bomb sounds like, but this is mostly beside the point. The whistling sound is another element of the movie soundscape that helps ground the viewer's attention and allows them to know what is happening on-screen (and, in some cases, it even provides a bit of humor).

Anyone who has seen a Looney Tunes cartoon is probably familiar with the jungle sound, even though they may not know its exact provenance. The bird call clearly means to evoke the untamed space of the jungle, where the birds flit from tree to tree and nature exists in its purest form. While it might be associated with jungles throughout the world, the sound itself is very specific: it comes from the Australian bird known as the kookaburra. It’s a very recognizable and strange (one might even say surreal sound), which helps explain why it has become so popular in movies and animated shorts. 

Star Trek, like Star Wars, is one of the most important sci-fi creations of the 20th century. Also, like Star Wars, Star Trek features a number of visual and auditory features that have become synonymous with this universe. Of particular note is the sound of the sliding doors, which are immediately recognizable as having come from the original series. It’s one of those sound effects that is simple yet effective, conveying the notion that the story unfolding is taking place in a setting far beyond the modern world that the viewer currently inhabits.

Any time a character or a group of characters goes out into the wilderness, they’re almost certainly going to hear the lonely cry of a loon. It’s one of those sound effects that contains a great deal of connotation, and hearing it immediately draws the viewer into wild, untamed spaces. Moreover, it usually suggests that the characters have passed out of the realm of civilization, inspiring feelings of loneliness and melancholy. Even the fact that the bird itself has a somewhat limited range hasn’t kept it from being one of the most frequently used sound effects in Hollywood, especially after its use in On Golden Pond.

Given the importance of weather in all kinds of movies, it makes sense that thunder would be one of the most prominent sound effects in Hollywood’s aural repertoire. The sound effect known as “Castle thunder” is arguably the most widely known example of this phenomenon, and it has made numerous appearances after its first use in Frankenstein. It was particularly widely used in many Disney features, even though it was subsequently replaced. One of the ironies of this particular sound effect is that it tends to imply that thunder and lightning happen close together when, in fact, the opposite is often the case (depending largely on how close the storm is to the person seeing the lightning).

The 1980s was a particularly good decade for horror and action fans, who got a little of both in the film Predator, which is about a group of soldiers stalked by a sinister alien being. The creature design is, of course, one of the major reasons that this alien manages to be the stuff of nightmares, but the sound design also plays a key role. Once someone has heard the clicks that the Predator makes, it’s impossible to ever put them entirely out of one’s mind. Something about them — perhaps the way that they are clearly a language, even as they sound animalistic — taps into humanity’s primal fear that it might not be at the top of the food chain after all. 

Darth Vader is the type of villain who looms large in the popular imagination, thanks to his imposing stature, his deep voice (provided by James Earl Jones), and his tragic backstory. What truly makes him so terrifying, however, is the distinct sound effect of his breathing, which marks him out as something human and machine, a fearsome amalgamation that allows him to be nearly unbeatable. As soon as the viewer hears that menacing rasp, it’s impossible not to feel the thrill of fear and anticipation — waiting for one of cinema’s greatest villains to finally appear.  

Godzilla is arguably one of the most enduring monsters in movie history. Most often associated with Japan and its efforts to work through the trauma of the atomic bomb, he has been given new life thanks to films like Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Though the sound effects associated with him have changed somewhat over the years, arguably the most lasting and recognizable is his roar in the original films. It might sound tinny and cheesy to modern ears, but it is still an aural symbol of the movie’s greatest beast.

Few birds are quite as majestic or as inspiring as the eagle, which helps to explain why it is not only the national bird of the US but has also featured in countless TV shows and movies. In addition to being physically present, most people have probably heard the eagle’s scream echo across a movie’s soundscape. It’s piercing and, strangely, even inspiring. The irony here, though, is that the scream sound effect most often heard in the cinema is a recording of the red-tailed hawk, whose call is much more movie-ready than that of the bald eagle.

Goofy remains one of the most beloved and recognizable Disney characters. Along with Mickey and Donald, he is one of the central trio that remains indelibly associated with the studio and its productions. In addition to his trademark expression of “Garsh,” Goofy is also known for his holler, which he typically utters when (as often happens) he experiences some kind of mishap or fall, and it’s now hard to imagine a cartoon with him in it that doesn’t also feature the sound effect. While it began with Goofy, this very recognizable sound effect has since migrated to other characters as well.

Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential directors of his generation, and he has proven remarkably versatile. With Jurassic Park, he proved once again that he is a true sci-fi visionary, and his adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel is a feast for the eyes, bringing dinosaurs to quasi-miraculous CGI life. As visually stunning as they are, their sound design is just as extraordinary, and the roar of the Tyrannosaurus rex, in particular, still has the power to send chills down the viewer’s spine, thanks in large part to that overwhelming roar. It's all pure animal rage, a chimerical mix of alligator, elephant, and tiger.

George Lucas certainly left an indelible mark on the movies with his original Star Wars trilogy, and this extends to the films’ use of vibrant sound effects. Even those with only a passing familiarity with A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi would undoubtedly recognize the sound of a lightsaber even if they didn’t see it on screen. The peculiar electric hum is synonymous with the Jedi and with their dark counterparts the Sith, an external sign of their command of the Force. No lightsaber duel, no matter how well-choreographed, would ever be quite as effective without the accompanying sound effects.

Few sound effects have been as frequently used in Hollywood as the Wilhelm scream. It was first used in the film Distant Drums, in which an unfortunate soldier is dragged into the water by an alligator. It has since been in numerous films, arguably most notably in the original Star Wars trilogy. Though it is often used to convey moments of extreme panic or pain — and usually accompanies a person falling — it has also become somewhat comedic in effect. Even so, its sheer longevity speaks to its beloved status in the pantheon of notable movie sound effects and how such sounds connect those in the present to the cinematic past.