Prolific genre composer Alexander Taylor is back with a brand new score for new meta slasher Big Baby, which is set to screen at Frightfest 2026.
Ahead of the screening we got to ask Alexander some questions about the film, music and everything in between.
Tell us how you got to work on Big Baby?
I actually met Spider and Krsy at the afterparty for their previous film LITTLE BITES. I loved that flick, and just got to chatting with them about horror in general. Naturally, my career came up. About a year later, I got a message from Krsy asking me if I was interested in pitching to BIG BABY. I immediately jumped into the demo scene. It was the store/alley stalking scene with David Howard Thornton and Tracie Thoms. They seemed to love it, and I signed on a couple days later. My demo actually became the final score for that scene.
Did you work with Spider One to find the sound of Big Baby?
The turnaround was rather quick for Big Baby, so aside from initial conversations about the sound, there weren’t a lot of notes or re-writes. Spider and Krsy are musicians, so they understand more than most directors how much work and time go into scoring a film. If we had more time, I would have loved to feature them on the score. Krsy did actually add some things here and there to my score, but man, I would have loved to have them in the studio more. They are both such solid musicians. Needless to say, I’ve been a fan of Powerman since I was a kid, so this was a super exciting gig for me. I started learning guitar when TRANSFORM came out, so I can partially credit PM5K for teaching me how to play.
I’ve been out in LA for about 14 years now, and I still get star-struck. I don’t think that will ever go away, and I kind of don’t want it to. I never want to be that guy that’s too jaded to not fully appreciate how cool it is to be out here working with people you admire. So I was a bit star-struck at first, but Spider disarmed any intimidation almost immediately. He’s a really down to earth, charming guy, and I just love the dude.
It sounds like quite the wacky concept for a slasher; have you had a chance to see the finished film yet?
Oh yes, I’ve seen it many times now. Always a blast to watch it with a new crowd. I can’t rave enough about Brandon (Scott). He’s so so so good in this, and the audience always loves his take on the character. I can’t say it enough; Brandon made my job easy.
What were the challenges with the score for this film?
BIG BABY didn’t really have a lot of “challenges” per se. The score was very much in my wheelhouse stylistically. I guess the only issue is what happens on most flicks; a fairly quick turnaround. The clock is always your biggest adversary in indie film. I think I was scoring the film for less than a month.
And I wouldn’t call this a challenge, but one unique thing about the film was that I was scoring it while Krsy was editing the film. That itself isn’t unusual; in fact, it’s the norm to start scoring before picture lock. But the way it was delivered to me was fairly unconventional, but in an exciting way.
On other films, you’d get a rough or locked cut and sit down with the director for a spotting session. Here, you plot out where music goes and what musical palette we’d want to play with. On BIG BABY, it was different. Krsy delivered it linearly, scene by scene. So I’d see a little bit of the movie, score it, and wait until the next scene came in. I actually had no idea how it ended until the last few days of scoring. It was like putting a puzzle together without knowing what the picture was. So when I got that last scene, I was like a normal audience member, having my mind blown by the reveal. I remember distinctly shouting, ‘Fuck Yes!” when I finally saw the ending and knew they landed the plane safely. I had never done it like that before, but it was honestly really fun.
For UK readers, the film is set to debut at Frightfest later this month; how excited should we be for a new slasher?
Oh, BIG BABY is such a cool slasher. Like, an instantly iconic look. Adam (Marcinowski) really killed it here. He’s just too good. And everyone failed to mention that the dude is a unit. With the way the costume fits, it intentionally hides his physique and makes him more cartoonishly baby-like. So when I met him in person at the premiere, I was shocked. Dude works out. Plus, like most actors playing serial killers, Adam is a sweetheart.
But the Big Baby character isn’t your typical slasher. I feel like a lot of these characters fall in the “Silent killer” camp, like Michael and Jason. Not that I don’t love them, but Big Baby actually talks, and when he does, it’s some of my favourite scenes in the film.
And again, not knocking slashers because it’s one of my favourite sub-genres, but this is smarter than your average slasher. It’s very meta, but not in an eye-rolling way. It’s more of a psychological thriller. Spider’s script is just so witty and cutting. I think people are going to go into Big Baby expecting one thing, but getting something a lot more satisfying.
What have you got in the pipeline?
I have one of the biggest projects of my life coming out fairly soon. Rebekah McKendry’s SUNDOWN. Rebekah is another dream director to work with. She’s a powerhouse in the horror genre, and that’s very evident in SUNDOWN. Her cast is insane. We have Olwen Fouere (MANDY, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE), Summer Howell (Mike Flanagan’s CARRIE), Camille Sullivan (SHELBY OAKS), and David Alpay (FROM), just to name a few. All of them are just amazing here. And it was produced by SLASH. Between Cher producing BIG BABY and this, that’s two movies this year that had music legends producing. I have a ton more to say about that project, but I have a feeling we will have a separate conversation about that very soon.
There’s another flick I recently scored called THE DRAWING. It’s an Amblin-styled family horror flick that I adore. Our director, Jay Salahi, is the definition of a movie buff. His energy is off the charts, and very contagious. Every in-person session with Jay left me feeling inspired. It was a larger orchestral score, so that was a treat to get the chance to flex my more melodic muscles. I cannot wait for people to see it.
Oh yeah, and FAMILY MOVIE! I got a chance to work with my friend Travis (Bacon) on that! Travis did 99% of the score, but I got to help out a little on a handful of cues. Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick both star in and directed it. The film is such a blast. If you liked TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL, you’re gonna love this. The rest of the cast is stacked too. Jackie Earle Haley, John Carrol Lynch, Sosie Bacon, and just a rogues gallery of incredible actors.
I’m also currently working with Chandler Riggs (THE WALKING DEAD) on a project. It’s a bit hush-hush right now, but he serves as director and actor in this one, and kills it on both fronts. It’s so good, but I don’t have clearance to say what it is yet. All I can say is that Chandler is the man. You can tell he grew up on set and soaked up a lifetime worth of experience before he could even drive. He deeply respects every aspect of filmmaking, and he knows how to treat people. That second part is really important to me. He’s easily one of the highest profiled people I’ve worked with, but he makes you feel like a contemporary. I cannot say enough nice things about the guy.
Finally, what horror score have you heard in the genre in the recent past that really grabbed your ears?
You know I could go on for days about horror scores. I really, really loved Gavin Brivik’s score for FACES OF DEATH. That may be the stand-out of the year for me personally. You know how I like to be super experimental and use as many weird and unconventional instruments in my scores? Gavin is the same way, and he always surprises me. He just has a unique voice that I love, and I can’t wait to hear what he does next. He snagged a cool project I was gunning for, but you can’t be mad when you get beat out by someone you genuinely admire. On a completely unrelated note, make sure to check out Nicolas Curcio’s PLAYHOUSE. I know firsthand that it’s going to be awesome.
And I know I already mentioned it before, but Travis Bacon’s score for FAMILY MOVIE rocks. Catchy and spooky rock-a-billy/surf guitar stuff. That’s like, my go-to Spotify playlist. I feel like with horror-comedy, the music tends to take a back seat, but Travis’ work is impossible to ignore here. I’m really hoping they do a vinyl for this because I’m going to spin that constantly. Travis comes from an unconventional music background like me, so I just naturally gravitate towards his stuff because it’s so out of the box.
And I haven’t seen Jane Schoenbrun’s TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, but Alex G is doing the score, and he’s one of my favourites in the game right now. That’s one I’m really looking forward to. His vinyl for I SAW THE TV GLOW is constantly spinning at my place.
Rock Burwell’s score for OBSESSION is obviously something that needs to be highlighted. It’s so innocently sinister. It just works so well, and what’s even more impressive is that it’s his literal first time scoring… I mean… what?! I met him a couple weeks ago at a BMI event, and he is legit the sweetest dude. I don’t think he realizes how big his career is going to be. He’s just a natural at this.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention David Fleming’s work in WIDOW’S BAY. This show is without a doubt my favourite horror property of the year. I was blown away by it, and David’s work in particular is just immaculate. That main theme just sets the tone for this perfect show. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s somehow both graceful and lumbering, you know? Count me in for season 2.
Big Baby screens as part of Frightfest 2026.
Bloody Flicks 