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“Undertone” Film Details
- Director(s): Ian Tuason
- Writer(s): Ian Tuason
- Distributor: A24
- Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 33 Minutes
- Public Release Date (In Theaters, Early Screening): March 13, 2026
- Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Young Adult
- Content Rating: Rated R
- Primary Language: English
- Images © of / Courtesy Of A24
Movie Summary
With her mother dying, and her holding some guilt, Evy decided to live with her, help take care of her, just put her life on pause. The only consistent thing she does that calls for interaction with the outside world is doing her weekly podcast with her best friend Justin. Their podcast, Undertone, focuses on the supernatural, with Justin being the believer, she the skeptic, and they have gained quite a following.
However, their latest series of episodes, following ten audio files sent in, may just make Evy a believer.
Cast and Characters
Evy (Nina Kiri)
- Character Summary: Evy’s life is on pause right now. She is taking care of her mother, contemplating her relationship with her boyfriend, and her podcast is probably one of the few things she can genuinely say she looks forward to.
Justin (Adam DiMarco)
- Character Summary: Justin is one of Evy’s closest friends and a critic of her current boyfriend. Not in a “IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!” type of way, but he definitely seems to think Evy could do better.
Review and Commentary
Highlight(s)
A Ode To How and Why Sound Matters In Horror [82/100]
The absolute best thing you can do when it comes to Undertone is to watch it in a theater, or at home, with a good sound system. It’s not at the level of Warfare or Civil War in terms of sound, but for a movie with a half a million dollar budget, it seems every bit of money there was, it was put into the creep factor of sound. This means, as Justin is trying to prove that playing songs in reverse can lead you to hear something demonic, eventually you catch on. When Evy starts to wonder if something is going on in her mother’s home, it isn’t just the possible ghost or demon sightings, but the sound of them that matters.
It all helps you understand that for indie horror, it doesn’t always need to be a blood bath, as we’ve seen in the Winnie the Pooh movies. There are other ways to utilize what money is available to stand out and intrigue horror fans.
On The Fence
Not Enough Is Done With Evy To Have It Where She Can Handle The Film On Her Own [73/100]
Nina Kiri is the only on-screen character with dialogue, and they do their best to carry the film. Unfortunately, she may not be enough. One of the main issues we had with Undertone is that we couldn’t get invested in Evy’s story. Leading to one of the most prominent things all horror films should care about – whether the audience cares if the lead lives or dies. Don’t get me wrong, Evy is likable, and they tack on various things to make you feel for her, be it a sickly mom, a bad boyfriend, or a sense that she is rather physically isolated from her friends like Justin.
However, Kiri may not be at the point yet where she can hold down an entire film, based on how you feel about her character. In comparison, Tessa Thompson, in her film The Listener, which wasn’t horror, was able to do so. For it takes a certain presence, a means to connect with an audience without a sappy story, to pull off what was asked of Kiri. And this isn’t to say that down the line she may not gain that type of skill. But, Undertone pushes you to realize, taking on a role like this, especially with it being marketed as A24 has done, isn’t for everybody.
Overall
Our Rating (77/100): Mixed (Divisive)
Undertone deserves praise for its audio, and also some grace for being a truly low-budget horror film (it was made for $500,000). However, its character development and story fall into the same pattern most horror films do. The only difference here is that, rather than blood, guts, and gore, Undertone focuses on sound to compensate for its weaker elements.
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