There’s a certain kind of horror movie that tries to overwhelm you with noise, loud stingers, and predictable (but effective) jump scares. Then there’s Undertone, which does almost the exact opposite – it strips things down, leans into silence which somehow makes that even more unsettling. What really got under my skin about this one is how much of the horror exists in what you don’t see. Something you need to know about me and horror movies, I like a slow burn, a movie that creates something slowly unsettling while leaning into your imagination. This is why Undertone works for me.
The film centers on Evy, played by Nina Kiri, who spends her nights recording a paranormal podcast while caring for her sick mother in a house that already feels off before anything explicitly supernatural even starts happening. It’s the kind of setting that’s loaded with quiet tension, creaky floors, dim lighting, religious imagery staring back at you from every corner. You can feel something pressing in, even when nothing is technically “there” on screen.
Evy’s routine is simple but effective: she puts on noise-canceling headphones and records. That detail becomes the movie’s secret weapon. Every time she shuts out the outside world, you start wondering what’s happening just beyond her awareness. What’s moving in the next room? What sound is she missing? Is the sound happening in her headphones or in her home too? The movie constantly plays with that gap, and it creates this creeping paranoia that builds and blends.
Most of the story unfolds through a single podcast episode, recorded over several days, where Evy and her cohost Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco) go through a series of audio files sent in by an anonymous source. The recordings supposedly document a demonic possession, but as they listen, things start to feel less like a creepy story and more like something bleeding into Evy’s real life — this is where the movie will either work for you, or fall through the cracks.
I really appreciated how the film used sound as its main storytelling tool. You’re not just watching the horror, you’re listening to it too. The audio clips range from subtle to deeply unnerving: distorted voices, crying, things that don’t quite make sense, but feel wrong. The movie is so committed to this idea and if try to catch every little detail, you’ll fall deeper into it.
At the same time, there’s a more personal layer running underneath everything. Evy’s dealing with her mother’s declining health, a complicated relationship with religion, and an unexpected relationshipvy that adds another level of anxiety.It doesn’t always avoid familiar territory as there are definitely moments that lean on classic horror tropes, but it still manages to feel fresh because of how it presents them. Instead of constantly showing you something scary, the director lets your imagination do a lot of the work. There are moments where the camera just lingers, and you’re scanning the frame, waiting for something to move or appear. Most of the time nothing appears, but you know something is there — and that somehow makes it worse.
By the time the movie hits its final stretch, you’re suffocating with Evy because the film keeps you locked into her mindset and space.
Undertone isn’t a perfect movie. Some of the themes (especially around religion and guilt) can be a little too spot on and if you’re looking for a plot-heavy-connecting horror film, this isn’t really that. But as an experience, it’s incredibly effective. Parts of this film got under my skin in a way that lingers after the movie was over, mostly because it pushes suggestion and imagination more than a spectacle.
There’s no spoilers here, but by the time the movie was over I felt the need to be blessed by a priest and I certainly wasn’t interested in looking up anything they were talking about on the internet. If the trailer and concept interests you, I fully recommend you giving this one a shot at a theater near you.
Have you seen it yet? Are you a fan of this movie? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Cheers,
Matt.
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