Famous for introducing psychedelia to rock music, British rock band Pink Floyd has stretched the limits of musical possibilities through their decades-long journey. As with any popular rock band, their music has been lapped up by eager filmmakers who wanted a distinct soundscape for their movies.

On the 79th birthday of Pink Floyd’s co-founder Roger Waters, we take a look at seven films that used Pink Floyd tracks.

Comfortably Numb in The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs features Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb from the band’s iconic album, The Wall. Waters wrote the song from his experience of being injected with tranquillisers for stomach cramps before a 1977 performance in Philadelphia.

Instead of the original track, Scorsese opted for Waters’s version featuring Van Morrison and The Band. The orchestral elements and the stripped-down guitar solo with heavy rock elements work like a charm by pairing up with the insightful lyrics.

In The Departed, Comfortably Numb plays in the background when Leonardo DiCaprio’s undercover cop Billy and Vera Farmiga’s police therapist Madolyn begin a romantic relationship in the latter’s apartment.

Wish You Were Here in Boyhood (2014)

Richard Linklater’s 2014 magnum opus Boyhood is the coming-of-age tale of a boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) which he shot in real-time over 12 long years as his lead actor grew up. Written by Roger and David Gilmour, Wish You Were Here is one of Pink Floyd’s most iconic songs which features in one of the scenes in Boyhood.

Early on in the film, Mason’s mother (played by Patricia Arquette) moves the family so that she can go back to college to complete her studies. A few years later, she ends up becoming a professor. In a scene, Mason watches one of his mum’s students playing the title track of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song reminds Mason of his childhood home and the father that he was forced to leave behind.

Hey You in Due Date (2010)

Director Todd Phillips used the band’s music in his 2010 comedy Due Date. Starring Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis, Due Date sees Downey Jr’s Peter reluctantly hitting the road with a stoner and wannabe actor named Ethan (played by Galifianakis) to reach home in time for the birth of his first child.

In one of the scenes, when Peter falls asleep, Ethan takes a few bong hits while driving. On waking up, Peter realises that both Ethan and his dog are high. At that moment, Pink Floyd’s Hey You starts playing in the background, underscoring the absurdity of the situation.

Pink Floy’s psychedelia-laced music also inspired Phillips to use Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score in his 2019 film Joker.

Interstellar Overdrive in Doctor Strange (2016)

Pink Floyd’s music made it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2016 when Scott Derrickson included a track on the soundtrack of Doctor Strange. The director wanted to pay homage to the band as it heavily influenced the character’s psychedelic aesthetics.

The superhero film features Pink Floyd’s Interstellar Overdrive which plays right before Strange’s life-changing car accident.

Fearless in Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Named after the Van Halen song of the same name, Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! is a spiritual sequel to his cult classic, Dazed and Confused. While the first movie was about confused high-schoolers in the 1970s, the second one is about disillusioned college students in the 1980s.

Pink Floyd’s Fearless appears on the soundtrack when Willoughby, a stoner played by Wyatt Russell, takes bong hits with Jake, Dale and Plummer while sharing with them his philosophy about music.

Time in Eternals (2021)

MCU incorporated another Floyd classic in Eternals. Directed by Academy Award-winner Chloe Zhao, the film is based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name.

The fourth track on their eighth album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Time is an epic tale of the years gone by. The song is used during the opening montage of the film as the Marvel logo takes over the screen. Written by Waters, the lyrics effectively capture the passage of time along with roaring guitar solos.

Special mention:

Pink Floyd - The Wall (1982)

With its heady mix of surreal sound and visuals, The Wall is one of Pink Floyd’s most acclaimed albums. Three years after the album hit the shelves, Alan Parker adapted it for the big screen. Waters wrote the screenplay, which revolves around a disillusioned rock star named Pink (played by Bob Geldof). The movie’s plot weaves together a bunch of classic tracks from the album.