Undertone is most effective when it trusts sound, silence and the audience’s imagination to make a confined family home feel threatening. Director Ian Tuason’s stripped-down approach creates real unease, but the story’s later layers may feel like an accumulation rather than a deeper payoff. This is a spoiler-light review.
What is Undertone about?
Written and directed by Ian Tuason, Undertone follows Evy Babic (Nina Kiri), a paranormal podcast host caring for her dying, comatose mother. At night, Evy remotely records with co-host Justin (Adam DiMarco’s voice). When anonymous audio files arrive, the pair investigate them—including by playing some recordings backward. The film stays inside the family’s two-story home, keeping its focus on Evy, the recordings and what she can hear.
A24’s official synopsis is brief: “The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.” The setup is enough to establish the film’s central tension without giving away what the recordings mean or how the story develops.
Does the sound-led approach make it scary?
Often, yes. Undertone treats sound as more than a route to a jump scare: quiet stretches, ordinary household noises and sudden changes in volume make the unseen feel present. A clock or a tea kettle can become unsettling because the film encourages you to listen for what might be hiding inside a familiar sound.
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#1 Best Overall
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Tuason told the Associated Press, “Sound in movies, it makes space for the audience to imagine what they’re not seeing.” That principle suits a story built around recordings and an off-screen threat. Instead of showing every source of fear, the film leaves gaps for the viewer to fill. The result can be more disturbing than a clear visual reveal, especially when Evy is alone in the house.
Nina Kiri anchors that uncertainty. AP critic Jake Coyle praised her performance in a film where she is the only talking actor physically present. Her reactions give the listening scenes emotional stakes: we are not just parsing audio clues, but watching someone try to remain composed while the sounds invade an already stressful home life.
Rank #2
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Where does the minimal premise start to strain?
The same repetition that can make the film immersive may also slow it down. Its tight setting and recurring attention to recordings create an intentional sense of confinement, but viewers who want frequent changes in pace or visual action may find the approach monotonous.
There is also a shift from the pleasure of the simple sound-based premise to a story with more thematic and supernatural layers. Those additions can broaden the film’s emotional reach, particularly alongside its caregiving situation, but they may also make the original, spare idea feel less focused. Coyle’s AP review captures that tension: he finds the early sound-based dread effective, while arguing that the added layers leave the film feeling like both too much and too little. That is one critic’s assessment, not a settled consensus.
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Rank #3
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The film’s strongest choice is often what it withholds. Whether its later developments reward that restraint depends on how much you want an explanation and how much you prefer dread to remain unresolved.
How did critics and audiences respond?
Reception is mixed rather than unanimous. Rotten Tomatoes displayed a 74% Tomatometer from 196 reviews and a 50% Popcornmeter from more than 1,000 verified ratings when accessed on October 8, 2026. These are changing site aggregates, not permanent ratings. The critics’ consensus praises the use of negative space and unsettling audio; the audience summary is more reserved. Coyle’s two-and-a-half-out-of-four-star AP review offers a specific explanation for the divide: the sound design works, but the growing number of story layers can blunt the effect.
Rank #4
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Is Undertone really 84 minutes?
The available listings do not support calling 84 minutes a confirmed runtime. The Associated Press reports 94 minutes. The British Board of Film Classification lists a 94m 1s cinema version and a 94m 6s home-entertainment version, while Rotten Tomatoes lists 1h 25m, or 85 minutes. The sources do not explain why those figures differ, so the runtime should be treated as unresolved rather than silently rounded to one number.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What content should viewers know about?
Content guidance differs by territory. In the UK, the BBFC classification is “strong horror, violence, language”; its advice also flags drugs, suicide and self-harm references, injury detail, miscarriage and stillbirth themes, care for a terminally ill mother, and alcohol and smoking. For the United States, AP reports an R rating from the Motion Picture Association for language. The UK advice and US rating are separate classifications, not interchangeable descriptions.
Best Value
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Do you need headphones to watch?
No source establishes that headphones are required or identifies a particular sound format. The film’s audio is central, so watching somewhere you can hear quiet details clearly may help. Headphones are a preference, not a stated technical requirement; a good speaker setup or attentive viewing in a quiet room can also suit the film.
Verdict
Undertone makes its best case through listening: its domestic sounds, long silences and Nina Kiri’s focused performance turn a familiar house into a source of sustained unease. The approach is distinctive and frequently effective, though its repetition and later narrative additions may frustrate viewers who prefer a brisker pace or a more tightly contained idea. It is a stronger recommendation for horror fans who enjoy suggestion and atmosphere than for anyone expecting constant shocks.
Quick Recap
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