Horror Movie Review: undertone (2025)

As much as undertone might give a regular horror watcher some serious déjà vu, it’s not a bad film. In fact, it’s quite an effective paranormal horror film, with plenty of dread moments and jump scares.

Though it is difficult to get past the fact that it has all been done before, which is why I won’t rate it too high even if I enjoyed watching it, mostly.

Written and directed by Ian Tuason, in his directorial debut, undertone is all about sound and what you don’t see. Proving that less is more when it comes to horror. I will always champion this thinking, and Tuason shows off a deft hand when it comes to sticking to it, even when he pushes his luck with some later scenes.

Scenes that expose the flaws in the film, but not to the extent that it becomes unwatchable.

The film has two characters on screen only, and one of them never talks (sort of). The one that does is Evy, played by the excellent Nina Kiri, and she is the primary carer for her bedbound mother (Michèle Duquet), who is dying. Evy hosts a successful podcast about all things paranormal along with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), who we never see, only hear. On the podcast, she plays the role of a sceptic, whereas he has a habit of believing everything that comes his way.

Their latest show is going to be a bit of a doozy though, as Justin has been sent some intriguing recordings and the plan is to listen to them live, as they record their latest episodes.

So, what are the recordings? Simply put, Paranormal Activity (I’m not joking) in audio form. A married couple (Keana Lyn Bastidas and Jeff Yung) began to experience supernatural occurrences in their home, so the latter decided to record things and that is what we are hearing. As the couple’s story begins to play out, strange occurrences begin to happen around Evy and her mother, leading her to question her own beliefs.

It can’t be stated enough that undertone is so unoriginal, it’s aggravating. Regardless of the fact sound plays a pivotal part, it is still just a paranormal horror clone. Yet, thanks to a genuinely talented creator and lead actor, it ends up being a decent film.

What helps is the additional story vein that runs through things. Namely, Evy having to care for her dying mother alone and struggling with aspects of her childhood, least of all her mother’s religious devotion. Something that manifests in guilt as it caused Evy to become disconnected from her mother. This is a vein that Tuason is able to tap into, heightening it when Evy is talked into going out for one night, and comes home to find her mother in distress.

There is nothing quite like parental guilt to mess with a person’s mind, and that allows Tuason to play around with the idea of what is real and what isn’t. As things get weird around Evy, she questions her mental state, and it makes some of the events a bit hazier. Don’t get me wrong, the film isn’t exactly coy about the supernatural, but the how and why of it is kept intriguing. I don’t think it pays off, personally, as the last twenty minutes or so are fairly mundane, but the journey is enjoyable.

Much of that enjoyability comes from the scares, or as often is the case, the lack of scares. Tuason loves to use empty space. Forcing you to focus on nothing, with expectation that something is about to happen, and more times than not, nothing does. Yet, it’s still scary and all because the tension ramps up during each moment. Then, just as you’re beginning to relax, something does happen. It’s a trick that is employed throughout the film, sometimes a bit too much, but mostly it stays effective.

That’s what I’ll remember undertone for and that is why I still think it is worth a watch. Go in knowing that you’ve seen it all before, but that the talent involved are still capable of making it effective nonetheless, and you’ll likely come away more satisfied.