Spoilers are ahead for Turtles All the Way Down.

An eclectic mix of genre-spanning tunes, the Turtles All the Way Down soundtrack captures the excitement of first love and new experiences as well as the anxiety-inducing and all-consuming terror of Aza’s intrusive thoughts. Needless to say, every song in the movie works to underscore particular scenes’ themes and moods. Based on John Green’s bestselling young adult (YA) novel of the same name, Turtles All the Way Down centers on Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced), a teenager living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For Aza, intrusive thoughts often center on the human microbiome.

Not only is Aza fearful of contracting something life-threatening, like C. diff, but she gets stuck in thought spirals about not being real. As Aza struggles to manage her OCD symptoms, Daisy Ramirez (Cree Cicchino), Aza’s BFF, convinces her to track down the disappeared criminal billionaire, Russell Pickett. While the reward tied to Russell is intriguing, he also happens to be the father of Aza’s childhood crush, Davis (Felix Mallard). Even though her intrusive thoughts irrationally warn her about getting too close to Davis, Aza can’t help but get swept up in the idea of first love.

When Every Song Plays In Turtles All The Way Down

Turtles All The Way Down Features 10 Songs In Addition To Its Score

“Oh No” by Biig Piig–Turtles All the Way Down opens with Aza’s monologue about one of her greatest sources of anxiety: the human microbiome. As she describes her fear that she isn’t real to both the viewer and Dr. Kira Singh (Poorna Jagannathan), Biig Piig’s “Oh No” plays, setting the general musical and thematic tone for the film.

“Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish– At the 6 minute and 40 second mark, Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” plays as Aza has one of her first intrusive thought spirals. Sitting in the cafeteria, she’s trying to listen to what her best friends Daisy and Mychal (Maliq Johnson) are saying, but can’t focus because her brain is obsessing over the noises her stomach is making, which, in turn, is making Aza think about all the bacteria in her body. The intense, fast-paced cadence of “Bad Guy” perfectly captures the feeling of Aza’s anxiety.

“Ms. Jackson” by Outkast– Roughly 10 minutes into the film, Aza picks up Daisy from work so that they can go on a lunchtime adventure. One of Aza’s most prized possessions is Harold, her late father’s car. Before the duo take off, Aza asks Daisy if she would rather listen to the radio or the CD that’s been stuck inside Harold for years. The CD in question, which Aza calls “the greatest album of all time,” starts playing Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson.” For Turtles All the Way Down‘s cast of characters, it’s clear that belting out “Ms. Jackson” was one of the most fun scenes.

“Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem – After sneaking onto the Pickett family’s property via canoe, Daisy and Aza scour the woods for Davis’ old wildlife camera, hoping the footage can give them some indication of what happened to Russell. As they wander the woods, Daisy pretends that tree branches are lightsabers and Aza gets progressively fed up with the wild goose tuatara chase. The whole sequence is set to LCD Soundsystem’s quirky, low-key “Dance Yrself Clean.”

“The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala – At the 21-minute mark, Lyle, the Pickett family’s security guard, discovers Aza and Daisy trespassing by the river. The duo convince Lyle to bring them to Davis, and, as they approach the Pickett family’s sprawling mansion, the aptly titled “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala plays. After Davis and Aza catch up, the song starts playing again.

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“Golden Light” by STRFKR – About 31 minutes into the film, Aza texts Davis about going on a double date to Applebee’s. Daisy, who’s going on the date with Mychal, coaches Aza through the text. When Davis says “yes,” Aza panics about what to wear. In a humorous moment, Daisy suggests they don evening gowns for the Applebee’s date, only for the scene to cut to a montage of Aza and Daisy getting ready, all set to the tune of “Golden Light” by STRFKR.

“Awe (Part II)” by Jayeson Andel – Post-date, Aza discovers the $100,000 reward Davis casually gave her and texts him in a panic. As Davis explains that his dad hides cash everywhere, “Awe (Part II)” by Jayeson Andel plays. The light-hearted, sweet tune captures Aza’s excitement as Davis suggests that they find out if their connection really is something now that the reward is “out of the way.”

“Sunflower, Vol. 6” by Harry Styles – At the 49-minute-and-30-second mark, Harry Styles’ warm and bubbly “Sunflower, Vol. 6” plays, scoring a cute montage of moments between Daisy and Mychal, and Davis and Aza. While the former couple flirt in-person at school, Aza and Davis deepen their connection over text, which feels more comfortable for Aza. Distracted by Davis’ sweet nothings, Aza ignores school work, a wayward volleyball in gym class, and is even able to evade her all-consuming thought spirals for a time.

“The Loop” by Toro y Moi – A few seconds shy of the 56-minute mark in Turtles All the Way Down movie adaptation, “The Loop” by Toro y Moi plays. The cue, which is subtitled “music turns funky,” comes in the wake of Davis and Aza’s time in the Pickett family pool. Back at their respective homes, Aza and Davis’ texts become increasingly forward, hinting at their mutual desire for physical intimacy — even if realizing that desire unnerves Aza.

“Zeitgeist” by Babe Rainbow – One hour and two minutes into Turtles All the Way Down, “Zeitgest” by Babe Rainbow plays as Aza and Davis board the Pickett family’s private plane to Chicago. Davis cracks open a Dr. Pepper — Aza’s favorite — and the pair remain giddy and glowing, which is underscored perfectly by the song choice. One of the biggest book changes in Turtles All the Way Down is the introduction of Professor Abbott (J. Smith-Cameron), a philosophy expert that Aza admires and who explains the true meaning behind the film’s title.

“Nothing but Mustard” & Turtles All the Way Down‘s Original Score by Ian Hultquist – Throughout the film, poignant moments are punctuated by Ian Hultquist’s Turtles All the Way Down score, which includes aptly titled tracks like “Nothing but Mustard” and “Love Is How You Become Real.” While the film’s needle-drop moments work well, the most emotional sequences are set to Hultquist’s mood-setting tunes, including much of Turtles All the Way Down‘s ending.

Where To Listen To Turtles All The Way Down’s Soundtrack & Score

Ian Hultquist’s Official Turtles All The Way Down Score Is Available To Stream

Currently, there isn’t an official version of the Turtles All the Way Down soundtrack available on streaming, which means viewers will have to cobble together their own Spotify playlists to hear the 10 featured songs. However, Ian Hultquist’s official Turtles All the Way Down score is available to stream on major platforms, including YouTube. Released under the WaterTower Music record label, Hultquist’s score features 22 original numbers, ranging from heartfelt to anxiety-inducing. If viewers want, they can re-create the full Turtles All the Way Down soundtrack by making a playlist of Hultquist’s score and the other featured songs.

Turtles All The Way Down

It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.

Director

Hannah Marks

Release Date

May 2, 2024

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema , Temple Hill Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Max

Cast

Isabela Merced , Cree Cicchino , Felix Mallard , Judy Reyes