Biography

Nathan Johnson is an award-winning composer, director, and producer whose work spans film, television, and music videos. Notably, Johnson composed the scores for the Oscar-nominated murder mystery films Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022), and returns for the upcoming third installment for Netflix, Wake Up Dead Man, which will release in select theaters on November 26 for a two-week run before its streaming debut on December 12, 2025. The film marks his latest collaboration with writer-director Rian Johnson, having previously worked with the filmmaker on the films Looper (2012), The Brothers Bloom (2008), and Brick (2005), his film scoring debut.

Known for his distinctive approach to instrumentation and recording, Johnson often incorporates unconventional elements such as tuned wine glasses, field recordings, and repurposed industrial objects alongside orchestral arrangements.

His recent film triumphs also include the original score for Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley, starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, which received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. For his potent, evocative score, Johnson received Critics Choice, Hollywood Music in Media, and Saturn Award nominations, among various honors. His eclectic film credits also include Michael Cuesta's crime thriller Kill the Messenger, Jake Paltrow's science fiction film Young Ones, Jennifer Devoldère's French comedy The Day I Saw Your Heart, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut Don Jon.

For television, he scored Peacock's Emmy-nominated mystery-comedy series Poker Face from creator Rian Johnson and star Natasha Lyonne, which recently debuted its second season. He also served as composer for the Apple TV+ dramedy Mr. Corman, reuniting with creator and star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which premiered in 2021. For the series, he wrote new opening theme music for each episode and also wrote and performed multiple songs.

Johnson has been twice recognized by the International Film Music Critics Association Awards, winning for Best Original Score for a Comedy Film for Glass Onion, and Breakthrough Film Composer of the Year for Looper, for which he also won an ASCAP Film and Television Music Award. He received his first Saturn Award nomination for his work on Knives Out.

Also an award-winning director, Johnson has directed numerous short films and music videos. His work in particular with the American post rock band Son Lux has been highly praised, including the groundbreaking experimental video for their song "Change Is Everything," which won Best Alternative Music Video at the 2015 UK Music Video Awards. Among various collaborations with the band, he also directed a short film inspired by their song, "All Directions," starring actors Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen, which received a nomination for Best Music Video at the 2018 Camerimage festival.

Johnson is based in Los Angeles, California.
- IMDb mini biography by: ID-PR