Undertone
March 10th, 2026
MOVIE: UNDERTONE
STARRING: NINA KIRI, ADAM DIMARCO, MICHÈLE DUQUET
DIRECTED BY: IAN TUASON
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 94 MINUTES
At this point, everybody has a podcast- from retired NBA stars and former SNL comedians to doctors and probably even your mother. Our entire existence now seems to revolve around people sitting behind giant microphones, speaking on topics they may or may not fully understand. Undertone, the newest horror movie from A24, centers on a woman who hosts a podcast that debunks stories about possession or internet memes rumored to have caused people to die. It’s a fun side hustle…until one story they cover begins to infiltrate her life. The horror discussed on the podcast begins to spill into reality, creating both a visual and audio nightmare.
The lead character is Evy (Nina Kiri- the only character on screen for about 95% of the runtime), a woman who has been placed in the uncomfortable position of caring for her mother (Michèle Duquet), who has been in a medically induced coma. In her spare time, she co-hosts The Undertone Podcast with her good friend Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco), where he plays the believer, and she takes the role of the skeptic. When Justin receives a mysterious email about a murder, the two decide to make it their next episode, listening to different audio files and dissecting their validity. As they dig deeper, strange things begin to happen in Evy’s home: shadowy figures lurking in the halls, disturbing nightmares, and an eerie connection to her personal life.
The writer/director is Ian Tuason, making his feature debut after a string of short films. He has already been tapped to direct the next installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise. What’s impressive about Undertone from the start is that although it may seem like a film built around audio, it’s actually the visual work that creates the most terror. Tuason and cinematographer Graham Beasley tilt the camera to create a dizzying sense of place, while the setting- shot in Tuason’s actual childhood home- crafts a lingering tone of dread.
It’s in the second half of the film where the scares truly hit. Blood-curdling noises echo through Evy’s headphones, while the harsh reality of caring for a sick loved one adds an emotional layer that can hit close to home- and that’s without relying on a single jump scare. Tuason instead allows the camera to linger on a dark hallway, almost daring you to stare into the blackness. The tension never truly releases, as this brand of horror is designed to keep you constantly uncomfortable.
As for the podcast elements, Undertone occasionally strains credibility, with characters pushing their luck by refusing to stop recording. Trust me- your podcast is not that important. But when it comes to the creepy details, Undertone nails them. The crackling sound of a respirator becomes ingrained in your head. A shadow lingers just behind someone in a mirror. And the true traumas of the main character begin to manifest in ways that force her to question her skepticism.
Undertone may be known as “the podcast horror movie,” but for me, it was pure nightmare fuel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe… if you dare.
3 ½ STARS
Writer’s note: If you enjoy Undertone as much as I did, be sure to check out the single setting podcast film Monolith and watch my interview with the director, writer, and star of the film HERE.
UNDERTONE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
