Undertone (2026)
Undertone, the new horror film from A24—the studio that brought you Hereditary and The Witch—feels like it's been made by placing familiar ingredients in that studio's scary movie blender. Haunted-looking protagonist with family issues? Check. Muted color palette and a nervy, unsettling score? Check. Metaphors about religious trauma and/or parental ambivalence? Check, check, check.
None of this is to say that Undertone, by first-time director Ian Tuason, is bad, exactly. The set-up and atmosphere it establishes in its opening frames are promising. The film centers on Evy (Nina Kiri), a 20-something podcaster taking care of her dying mother. Trapped in her childhood home, Evy's only form of relief is through her work: a paranormal podcast in which she and her co-host Justin (the voice of Adam DiMarco) investigate "real-life" scary stories. The film's horror kicks off when Evy and Justin begin listening to a series of voice recordings sent to them by an anonymous source, which depict a couple in distress and which have disturbing parallels to Evie's own life.
To its credit, Undertone's first half glides along on the film's atmospheric visuals and campfire story-esque premise. Tuason does an effective job of wringing tension from Evy's increasing isolation. The camera roves restlessly around her childhood home, capturing every dark corner and stark angle with quiet unease.
The issue really lies in the film's second half, as well as its central performance. Undertone often just feels too familiar to truly surprise or scare, from its grim, self-serious tone—à la Hereditary—to its barrage of overdone horror audio tropes such as babies crying, creepy nursery rhymes, and demonic voices.
Kiri, practically the only actor onscreen for the entire film, is just too much of a blank to pull the audience into Evy's escalating horror. It never once feels like you know who Evy was or what motivated her.
By the time you reach the film's noisy
conclusion, Undertone has become like a paranormal podcast episode: a
little spooky, a little cheesy, and ultimately background noise.
