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R
for language.
Starring
Nina Kiri, Michelle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung, Adam DiMarco
Director
Ian Tuason
Producer
Dan Slater, Cody Calahan
Genres
Horror
Released by
A24 on
3/13/2026
Nationwide
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Trailer
Review
Watching Undertone, I was often reminded of The Blair Witch Project. Both films involve a strong point-of-view approach, eschew many horror tropes, and conclude without a true ending. Undertone, however, is not a "found footage" film, at least in the same way that Blair Witch is. It does, however, feature audio recordings, and character interactions occur by way of phone calls and/or podcasts. Although it is a third-person movie, the movements of the camera sometimes suggest a first-person perspective.
The problem with Undertone has nothing to do with its uncompromising style but with its length. The narrative elements are threadbare, bordering on nonexistent. There is only one significant character - Nina Kiri's Evy - but it would be stating the obvious to call her underdeveloped. We learn only a few key details about her life (she's mostly confined to home caring for a terminally ill, catatonic mother; she's a skeptic who enjoys debunking paranormal phenomena on her podcast; she is six weeks pregnant) and have minimal insight into her personality.
That's all by design because director Ian Tuason isn't really interested in telling a story. Instead, he wants to plunge viewers into a maelstrom of burgeoning dread. The entire movie is built on the concept that audiences can be freaked out by a combination of audio cues, cinematographic shots, and editing sleight-of-hand. Had Undertone been produced as a short, this might have been an unqualified triumph, but as a feature, it goes on for too long. By the time the conclusion arrives, we have become numb to the filmmaker's approach, and the expected non-ending feels preordained and unimpactful. I didn't feel frustrated because I had stopped caring by that point.
Still, as underwhelming as the traditional aspects of Undertone are, it's a fascinating film to watch, at least until it starts to feel repetitive. Tuason has a distinctive voice; it will be interesting to see what he can do with material that is better structured. It's the tiny, unique moments that give the film bursts of energy. There are no jump-scares. In fact, there's a sense that the director is intentionally showing disdain for the horror standbys - he sets them up but doesn't deliver. The no-jump-scare moments are some of Undertone's most effective. A traditional jump scare explosively relieves tension. Tuason allows the suspense to build but never opens the release valve, so it continues to mount.
The story, to the extent that there is one, relates to Evy's podcast ("The Undertone Podcast"), which she hosts with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco). The two have a Mulder/Scully relationship (with Evy filling the "Scully" role) when it comes to the unexplained. Their latest mystery involves ten recordings made by a married couple whose experiences with things that go bump in the night escalate. Evy and Justin debate the veracity of what they're hearing, but when the microphones are turned off and Evy is alone in the house with her insensate mother, her own reality begins to warp. That's it. That's the whole movie. Even at a svelte 94 minutes, Undertone easily overstays its welcome.
Horror in the 2020s has evolved considerably from where it once was. Now, there's a different flavor for everyone. Undertone is for the art-house crowd - those who don't demand explanations and resolutions, those who don't want gore (there's virtually none to be found) or demented creatures, those who simply prefer to steep in dread and atmosphere for about an hour and a half. It's not mainstream, but there is a niche audience out there. For me, this feels more like a calling card than a legitimate motion picture. It's a chance for the director to show what he can do and put it out there for viewers to experience. I appreciate the vision and persistence more than the execution. It will be interesting to see what Tuason does with his next project, a Paranormal Activity remake, since that seems custom-made for the brand of horror that he has embraced here.
© 2026 James Berardinelli
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