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- Undertone’s story: a podcast, a caregiver, and ten mysterious tapes
- How the film was born: radio drama roots and a personal shoot in Toronto
- Sound as the main character: 3D audio and immersive design
- Ambiguity and dread: when explanation would spoil the terror
- Influences and style: elevated horror, dream logic, and an unlikely TV touchstone
- Cast, craft, and what to watch for in theaters
A24’s latest release, Undertone, arrives as a small Canadian film that quietly refuses to leave you alone. It builds dread from ordinary rooms and domestic care, then threads that unease into something haunting. Few recent horror films have this level of sustained, personal menace.
Undertone’s story: a podcast, a caregiver, and ten mysterious tapes
The film centers on Evy, a woman who records a supernatural podcast from her Toronto home. She is played by Nina Kiri. Her remote co-host, Justin, is portrayed by Adam DiMarco.
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Evy is juggling episodes while caring for her dying mother upstairs. The story shifts when Justin uncovers a set of ten audio tapes. Those recordings document a couple’s strange experiences.
From there, Evy’s life unravels. The movie avoids spoon-feeding answers. It lets the audience wonder whether the threats are spiritual, psychological, or mundane.
How the film was born: radio drama roots and a personal shoot in Toronto
Undertone began as an audio project. The director, Ian Tuason, wrote it with podcasts and radio plays in mind. He cites narrative audio shows as early inspirations.
When the pandemic hit, Tuason’s parents fell ill. He moved back into their house to care for them. That home later became the film’s main location.
This overlap of caregiving and creative work shaped the film’s tone. The idea of a supposed safe space becoming threatening guided many choices on set.
Sound as the main character: 3D audio and immersive design
Sound drives much of Undertone’s fear. Tuason prioritized audio cues over camera moves during scripting. The score and mix place noises around the listener.
- Directional effects create spatial anxiety.
- Every creak, whisper, and distant cry is placed deliberately.
- The mix borrows from virtual reality techniques to build a 3D soundstage.
This approach forces viewers to listen closely. Small noises gain huge significance. The film often makes you question whether a sound is real or imagined.
Ambiguity and dread: when explanation would spoil the terror
Undertone clings to uncertainty. The film repeatedly offers plausible, non-supernatural explanations for odd events.
A faucet may seem to turn on by itself. Perhaps the pipes shifted. A dark figure appears briefly. Lights snap back on and there is nothing to confirm it.
Tuason keeps scenes suggestive rather than conclusive. That strategy lets fear linger after each cut. The film trusts the audience to hold two possibilities at once.
Influences and style: elevated horror, dream logic, and an unlikely TV touchstone
The film sits alongside recent prestige horrors like Hereditary and The Babadook. It shares their patience and craft. Some viewers will call it elevated horror.
Tuason drew inspiration from sources outside the usual horror playbook. He admired certain shots and dream sequences in The Sopranos. Those moments informed how Undertone handles surreal beats.
The director also looks to classic films that weaponize the home. The idea that domestic spaces can turn hostile runs through the movie’s DNA.
Cast, craft, and what to watch for in theaters
- Nina Kiri anchors the film with a quiet, tense performance.
- Adam DiMarco provides a measured counterpoint as the podcast co-host.
- Listen closely to how the film places sounds. The mix is designed to make ordinary noises feel threatening.
Undertone is currently playing in theaters. If you prefer scares that seep in slowly rather than hit hard, this film will stay with you.
