Undertone – REVIEW

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Undertone – the scariest film you’ll ever hear?

With so many podcasts being created, especially during lockdown – often by people simply passing the time – it’s easy to find some truly terrible audio content. The new series, Undertone, centers around two podcasters, Eva – a skeptic – and Justin – a believer – who explore genuine scary stories. Justin receives ten audio files that kick off a growing mystery: recordings of a girlfriend’s sleep talking, captured by her boyfriend. These recordings are disturbingly unsettling, and some say they’re the worst audio since the last winning album from a reality singing competition.

The Undertone story unfolds….

As the team delved deeper into the files, they became increasingly unsettling. A demonic figure began to appear prominently, and children’s nursery rhymes took on a disturbing new meaning, especially when played in reverse. This reminded many who grew up with vinyl records of the old rumor about hidden demonic messages – a clever marketing tactic, perhaps, since it mostly resulted in scratched records and the need to buy replacements. It seems that for many teenage boys, the real message wasn’t about devil worship, but a different kind of encouragement… but we’re getting off track.

What you’ll hear….

Undertone truly shines through its sound design. Writer-director Ian Tuason masterfully uses unsettling silences punctuated by strange, possibly demonic, voices. At one point, it sounded like someone said, ‘I am the Duchess of Sussex!’ – though we might have imagined it.

The film effectively uses striking camera angles and composition to create a sense of dread within Eva’s shadowy home. Director Tuason skillfully guides the viewer’s eye, increasing the tension and hinting at a hidden presence. This unsettling atmosphere is amplified by Eva’s critically ill, silent mother, whose condition gradually leads to a terrifying climax.

Is the the scariest film you’ll ever hear?

The film’s marketing promises ‘the scariest movie you’ll ever hear,’ and it definitely delivers on the scare factor. However, the story itself feels underdeveloped. Each new audio recording is meant to reveal more, but instead, the plot becomes confusing and ultimately feels unresolved, which is especially disappointing during the climax.

Tuason’s first feature film shows a lot of promise and suggests he’s well-suited to direct the upcoming ‘Paranormal Activity’ reboot. While ‘Undertone’ has the potential to be truly frightening, it doesn’t quite fully deliver on that potential.

Here’s the Undertone trailer….

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2026-04-09 02:23