Overview

“Undertone” is a lean, supernatural thriller with a cast that is mostly present offscreen. Led by Nina Kiri and Michelle Duquet, it’s focus is more on what you hear than what you actually see. It’s an interesting direction to go.

Plot and Storytelling

The story is about two Podcasters, Evy and Justin of the “Undertone” podcast that take on scary stories which may or may not be true with weekly episodes. Evy is dealing with a strained personal relationship and caring for her dying mother. The movie kicks into gear when they are sent a collection of eight audio files that may or may not be real anonymously via email.

The eight files structure works well. It gives you an end point. As you might expect, each audio clip gets weirder than the next as they try to uncover what happened to the couple in the clips named Mike and Jessa. There is a believability in the back and forth between these two characters and it helps anchor the movie even if you don’t see them.

Performances

Nina Kiri does a good job trying to balance caring for her dying mother with no support from her family. More so than her own boyfriend, her fellow Podcaster Justin is her only real support.

As her personal life continues to deteriorate and her internal struggles increase, unexpected events begin happening as more of the audio files are played.

Direction and Cinematography

Directed and written by Ian Tuason, the use of unexpected camera angles and shots are utilized with varying degrees of success. A tracking shot descending down a dark flight of stairs is particularly fun as well as a long shot going from a dark hallway to Evy’s mother’s bedroom is also fun.

The efforts are appreciated and give the film a unique flair.

Meta Commentary and Themes

The attempt at mythology building is fun even if it’s a bit of a mess putting all the pieces together at the end. What works is the strong sound design, the use of Middle Eastern folklore and the threat demonic forces can play when properly motivated.

Conclusion

“Undertone” works as a slow burn psychological thriller carried by it’s strong performances, direction and sound design.

Pros: Great premise, direction and execution.
Cons: true horror fans may lose patience with its lack of jump scares and reliance on atmosphere. Not quite enough things go bump in the night.

Final Rating: 3.5/5

“Undertone” is playing in theaters.

“Undertone” 2026