written by: Ian Tuason
produced by: Dan Slater and Cody Calahan
directed by: Ian Tuason
rated: R (for language)
runtime: 94 min.
U.S. release date: March 13, 2026

Until there’s a horror movie that revolves around a protagonist who has tinnitus, we have “Undertone”, which puts its main character through aural hell. It’s akin to a found-footage horror flick, only in this case, there are audio files that leave the listener totally creeped out. Writer/director Ian Tuason takes an effective minimalist approach on a limited budget, taking place in a single location, as a podcaster is gradually tormented by sound. It’s a movie that relies heavily on sound design to evoke psychological chills; that’s all “Undertone” has to offer. The story misses out on saying anything poignant or compelling about grief, guilt, or anxiety.

Evy (Nina Kiri) co-hosts a podcast that focuses on paranormal findings, joining the show’s host, Justin (Adam DiMarco, unseen and only heard), online as they investigate and dissect strange cases with potential evidence. She’s moved into her dying mother’s (Michele Duquet) house to take care of her, who is relegated to a catatonic state in the upstairs bedroom. Since caregiving occupies most of her time, recording “The Undertone podcast” provides much-needed escapism for the young woman. Evy and Justin often listen to audio files or dig up alleged true tales of paranormal activity captured on recordings while also taking live calls. They have an engaging dynamic, with Evy being the skeptic and Justin the true believer.

Late one night, Justin forwards Evy an anonymous email he’s received, thinking it’ll be good material to spread out over the show episodically. It consists of 10 audio clips featuring the mysterious interaction between a married couple, Mike (Jeff Yung) and Jessa (Keana Lyn Bastidas), as they navigate life with a newborn and possibly something unreal. Initially, Evy maintains her skepticism as Justin claims he’s hearing things that lie either underneath the main line of sound or when vocals are played in reverse, but eventually, some of these bizarre noises may reveal an undeniable evil at play here. Evy’s tenuous grasp on reality unravels as the lines blur, her house becoming an eerie setting of macabre sounds.

It would be obvious to anyone who receives 10 mysterious audio files from an anonymous sender not to listen to them, but it would also be understandable how tempting they would be if you ran a podcast that highlights such mysteries.

“Undertone” is at its best when it draws the audience into a noise-cancelling atmosphere, requiring viewers to become keen listeners, searching for what lies beneath all the surface noise. Atmosphere is indeed what Tuason specializes in, providing a captivating visual and aural experience in Evy’s environment and point of view. However, there isn’t much story here to really get invested in, leaving the audience hooked only by what we see and hear.

What little more we learn about Evy raises more questions than it provides any forward momentum or outright answers. We learn that caregiving for her mother can take a toll on her character, who is tempted to turn to pills or alcohol to escape or keep her invested in the podcast recording. It’s unclear how popular her podcast with Justin is, but it’s enough to attract some callers, and the pair do seem to maintain a steady schedule, which provides some escapism she can rely on. It’s essentially a one-woman show for Nina Kiri, the only actor we see, alongside Michele Duquet as her ailing, nonverbal, bedridden mother. Kiri’s palpable loneliness and exhaustion unfold as the story unfolds, and a new development in her health becomes less a revelation and more a quandary.

There’s an expected enigmatic element to “Undertone” that Tuason convincingly conveys. We learn a little bit more each time Evy and Justin click play on those audio files. They try to decipher and/or decode the situations that develop on Mike and Jessa’s end. How old these chaotic audio files are is a question that’s never fully addressed, nor is there ever any interest in handing them over to the authorities. As the podcasters try to make sense of any hidden messages and meanings, there’s some detective work at play, along with Evy’s interest in nursery rhymes, especially their etymology and how they may relate to these recordings.

Eventually, perhaps inevitably, a demonic entity is found existing within the noise of the files. Christian religious imagery is introduced early on, but no spiritual warfare follows. By the time that’s revealed, I had already lost interest, and it becomes an afterthought. Tuason is primarily interested in breaking Evy’s psyche, introducing elements of torment and confusion, yet there’s nothing in “Undertone” that is outstanding in suspense. The third act features a climactic sound show, as the helmer puts everything into crafting an audio mix that does all the heavy lifting to keep us on edge.

While some may be more susceptible to the “theater of the mind” aspect that Tuason is going for here, it definitely has its limits. All the banging noises and cranked-up volume lose their appeal after a while, and in the end, we’re left with an anguished woman whom we barely know. There’s a case to be made for “Undertone” as a short film, since, at feature length, it’s a thinly realized drama and psychological examination amid a sonic fury.

RATING: **