Undertone (2026)

​“Undertone” stars Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung, Sarah Beaudin, and Brian Quintero.  Released on March 13, 2026, the film follows a podcast host who’s experiencing paranormal noises in her home.

The film is written and directed by Ian Tuason in his directorial debut.  Most horror films aim to scare audiences using various techniques.  This could include portraying a supernatural being with a grotesque appearance or having a masked killer suddenly appear to attack their victim.  No matter how it’s presented, there’s always a chance for someone to be frightened by something terrifying on screen.  However, there is one particular method that has proven to give people goosebumps faster than a horror villain’s appearance: the sounds.  Hearing the noises without knowing who’s making them is enough to make someone want to bolt towards the exit.  What’s worse is that it could be the last things they’ll hear if they’re “brave” enough to investigate.  This sums up the latest experimental horror film, where sound plays a significant role in a woman’s encounter with the paranormal.  After making a strong first impression in last year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, the movie seeks to promise American audiences that it’ll be the “scariest movie they’ll ever hear”.  Was it able to accomplish this task, or should audiences seek another podcast?  Let’s find out.      

 The story follows Evy (Kiri), a woman who hosts a paranormal podcast with her friend, Justin (DiMarco).  Their podcast explores specific cases involving the supernatural, with Evy as the skeptic and Justin as the “believer.”  Evy has also moved back home to take care of her dying mother (Duquet), resulting in her pulling double duty as both host and caregiver.  One night, while hosting their latest episode, Evy and Justin received a series of recordings by a married couple who were hearing strange noises in their home.  However, each recording Evy listens to becomes increasingly more disturbing than the last, as these noises gradually begin to haunt her home.  This sends Evy into a state of fear and paranoia, as her podcast transforms into a sound-inducing nightmare.  

After seeing the trailer for “Undertone”, I knew that I would be in for another horrific treat.  It’s not just because it looks like another terrifying, claustrophobic nightmare, but also because of its approach.  Instead of a typical supernatural spirit haunting the characters, the film uses its sound design as a form of terror, distinguishing itself from other paranormal horror movies.  Despite my mild annoyance with loud sounds, I was willing to brave them to see if its unique direction is worth the hype.  But, of course, the only concern I have about it is that, like other elevated horror films, this one might be seen by the general public as overhyped in terms of the direction and lack of “jump scares”.  Besides that, what matters most is what I personally thought of this movie.

Honestly, it’s far from the best horror movie of all time in my eyes.  However, I will admit that “Undertone” is certainly a creepy-as-hell experience that emphasizes not just the terror of the unknown but also the sound design worthy of the best sound system.  If there’s one notable aspect of its structure, it’s its slow-burning narrative, which gradually heightens feelings of eeriness, paranoia, and unease as the story progresses.  Unlike many horror films that rely on frequent jump scares, “Undertone” focuses solely on its atmospheric dread and limited setting to inject fear, with the events primarily occurring in Evy's house.  This approach would very likely test audiences' patience as they wait for something to jump out and give them heart attacks.  Fortunately, its 94-minute runtime and nightmarish atmosphere should help make the wait more bearable, especially when Evy begins listening to the recordings.

Regarding the execution of this approach, the film occasionally falters in its handling of certain plot elements.  It’s basically a straightforward, contained horror film that lacks much room in its development, scares, and themes, notably its religious undertones.  While it doesn’t rely too heavily on the narrative trappings we typically see in a horror movie, it does feel like Ian Tuason’s screenplay has been taking some cues from them, notably the slow-burn ones.  Its storyline isn’t going to rock people’s worlds, and the script’s limitations are obvious.  But, as a film that’s more focused on audible terror, it definitely grabbed hold of me long enough to embrace the discomforting aura of the scenario and even its intense, unnerving finale.

I can also confidently admit that Ian Tuason is another filmmaker with a promising future regarding the genre.  What I appreciate most about his direction is that he doesn’t rely on constant jump scares to frighten his audience.  Instead, he evokes fear through feelings of loneliness, paranoia, and vulnerability, rather than supernatural beings or monsters that surprise their victims.  The atmosphere surrounding Evy’s house, along with its haunting imagery, creates an uneasy, nightmarish essence that will make you think twice before walking around in the middle of the night or, in this case, host a paranormal podcast at three in the morning.  Seriously, who in their right mind would stay up extra late for a podcast?  Additionally, Tuason managed to retain my interest throughout the film’s slow-burn narrative through its solid dim lighting and panning shots, leading up to its nerve-wracking third act, where things really start to get under my skin.  But the actual highlight of his vision was his approach to sound mixing.

The sound mixing in “Undertone” has been its main selling point, enhancing the eerie and terrifying elements of what Evy hears through her headphones, particularly the children singing nursery rhymes in reverse.  Rather than showing the events directly, it encourages the audience to imagine what is happening in the recordings.  This aspect piqued my interest in “Undertone,” and I was not disappointed.  The sound mixing effectively creates unsettling noises without resorting to cheap jump scares, and it features crispness and audio distortion that make me feel as if I’m listening to those recordings on a laptop alongside Evy.  In this way, “Undertone” feels more like an immersive audio theme park experience than a traditional horror movie—and I appreciated that, especially since it takes full advantage of Dolby Atmos.  This is the kind of experience that deserves to be enjoyed with a top-notch surround sound system, either in a theater or at home if you want to avoid distractions from people on their cell phones.  Tuason has truly brought this haunting atmosphere to life through his direction, and I hope he can utilize this tactic to revitalize the “Paranormal Activity” franchise next year.

The film features only two on-screen characters throughout its runtime: Evy and her sick mother, while the other characters are heard off-screen.  It not only emphasizes the film’s horror elements through sound but also gives the actors appearing on-screen a chance to carry the movie themselves, notably Nina Kiri.  Kiri has appeared in numerous films before, but she gained the most attention for her role as Alma in “The Handmaid’s Tale”.  I haven’t watched “The Handmaid’s Tale”, in case you’re wondering, so this is actually my first time seeing her act in any media.  Admittedly, Kiri was another highlight of the film’s overall quality, with her performance effectively conveying Evy’s disbelief and growing paranoia regarding the recordings and her dying mother.  She really nailed the character’s state of terror without overselling her performance.  Adam DiMarco may not have been present, but he did a decent job keeping up with Kiri through his vocal performance as Justin.

Overall, “Undertone” is an engaging auditory experience that’s disturbing and well-executed enough to make me rethink about listening to it in the middle of the night.  Its screenplay may have hit a few snags in its narrative recording, but Ian Tuason delivered on the promise of providing an uneasy, discomforting sensation through the film’s impeccable sound mixing and bone-chilling atmosphere.  Whether or not it’s the scariest movie of all time is certainly up for discussion, though its slow-burn structure would surely make some listeners want to play a different podcast.  Personally, I'd say it’s the creepiest and most haunting experience I’ve ever listened to, even if its storytelling lacks an extra oomph to stand out from the horror crowd.  Nina Kiri delivers a great performance as the paranoid skeptic, and the sound mixing truly captures the fear of what I’m hearing, resulting in another solid small-scale horror film helmed by a promising first-time director.  It’s worth checking out if you support fresh faces in the horror genre, though I would keep your expectations for its story low just in case.

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