The Frequency of Fear: An ‘Undertone’ Non-Spoiler Analysis
I spent my Thursday night with A24’s latest experimental horror, Undertone. This is what I’d call "aural horror"—a single-location film that relies almost entirely on your ears. While some horror films try to overwhelm you with sensationalism—bigger monsters, bigger soundtracks, bigger shocks—Undertone does the opposite. It shrinks the stage with a single house, a handful of characters, and a story built almost entirely on sound.
The result is a small, tense psychological horror film that leans heavily on atmosphere and performance.
The Setup: Mulder and Scully with Microphones
We follow Evie, a skeptical host of a paranormal podcast. Her show normally explores strange recordings and supposed hauntings, but she is the one who questions everything. She hosts this podcast with her friend Justin; he believes in ghosts, she doesn't. Think Mulder and Scully, but with microphones.
Nina Kirri - Podcaster
Nina Kiri as Evy
Evie moves back to her childhood home to care for her dying mother. While there, she receives a disturbing set of audio recordings from a pregnant couple who claim something is haunting their home. At first, the tapes seem like typical paranormal material—strange sounds, whispers, nursery rhymes, and distorted voices. But then, the details begin to overlap with Evie’s own life.
Grief-Forward Horror
To really understand Undertone, you have to look at it through the lens of Grief-Forward Horror. This is a subgenre A24 has practically mastered, where the "monster" isn’t just a creature in the dark but a physical manifestation of trauma and loss.
Grief-Forward Horror
The Babadook: A mother's suppressed resentment.
Hereditary: A proxy for the inheritance of mental illness.
Relic: A decaying house representing the rot of Alzheimer's.
Undertone sits comfortably on this shelf. It uses the claustrophobia of end-of-life care to prime the audience. Evie isn't just a podcast host; she’s a woman trapped in a house that smells like antiseptic and old memories. The film suggests that grief creates a specific frequency—a mental "undertone" that leaves us vulnerable, making it difficult for individuals to cope with their emotions and connect with others during their time of loss.
The Final Verdict
Much of the film rests on Nina Kiri’s shoulders, and she carries it quite well. She spends much of the movie alone, trying to stay rational even while evidence around her becomes harder to explain.
While the "blackout" finale is an incredible theater experience, the tension lives in the silence. I went in expecting a typical obsession flick, but what I got was a psychological study of grief and obsession. In my opinion, the sound design conveyed the depth that the limited budget couldn't visually depict.
Film Specs
- Title: Undertone
- Director: Ian Tuason
- Release Date: March 13, 2026
- Runtime: 94 Minutes
- Rating: R
- Cast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michelle Duquet
