Undertone (2026) - Review
In the past week since the release of Undertone, I have seen a number of online reviewers react as if the movie slapped their mother and stole their lunch money. I am not sure we saw the same movie. Undertone captured me. It turned me into a fly, trapped in the home the film is set in.
I ventured out to the skeletal remains of the mall I often visited as a child to see the film at a theater that was showing Undertone with Dolby Atmos audio. This felt appropriate as the film is so audio-dependent. The unique premise - not found footage, but found audio - was enough of a draw to pull me in on opening weekend. The viral marketing tactics commonly used for A24 productions somehow missed me by large; although, they did work on getting me to watch Marty Supreme, another recent A24 film that I can’t recommend enough.
The experience reminded me of Iron Lung, another divisive, single-location film that immerses you in its suffocating world. Although quite a different film, Undertone reminded me of the experience I had watching Iron Lung when it was released at my local cinema. When done right, it adds to the tension by permeating the film with claustrophobia. Walking out of the cinema after these films had me thankful to be free, but in a good way. Thank God for the sweet breath of fresh air. Surely, my life isn’t all bad if I at least get fresh air, unlike the unfortunate characters trapped in one room for their entire pitiful two hour existence.
The entirety of Undertone takes place in the main character’s, Evy’s, house. Of note, it is the same house in which Ian Tuason, the writer and director, cared for his ailing parents. Evy is struggling to care for her dying mother, and her podcast, the titular “Undertone”, is her solace at the end of the day when she gets to put on the character version of herself for her podcast with her childhood friend, Justin. Alas, Justin has a face made for radio, and he only exists to viewers as a phone call icon on Evy’s laptop. Many such cases.
If you regrettably don’t have access to a Dolby Atmos theater, the film is still worth seeing, but you will want to rewatch it with better audio equipment later. The only experience which I could see as on-par would be with a pair of noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones. Evy herself wears them in the film while she records her podcast, which I reckon could enhance the immersion by following her lead. The audio direction in this film is its top highlight, as it should be by rights. How embarrassing would it be if your audio-focused film neglected its own audio?
At times, some of the voices in the film sounded like they were coming from behind me as I sat in the theater. Indeed, distinct vocals inundated me from all angles during some of the more intense demonic possession-fueled scenes. The distorted lines rolled from left ear to right ear, hit me in both at the same time, yet somehow I heard another level of audio straight down the middle. I’m ready for someone with significantly more knowledge on audio effects to tell me how it’s actually unimpressive, and how a four year old with Garageband can create the same effect with an hour of work.
What was Undertone trying to say, though?
Personally, I read a pro-life narrative into it. The pervasive Catholic imagery surely lends itself to the interpretation. In an interview with the folks at rogerebert.com, Tuason is explicitly asked if he is a Christian. He merely replies that he comes from a “faith background”. I know I can not be the only one who picked up on that message. Evy is considering an abortion, which invites the baby-killing demon into her life. When she later calls to schedule an appointment at a women’s clinic, it shows she is committing to her decision to abort the child. It’s from there that the film reaches the climax, and her fate is sealed. The film ends abruptly as the pandemonium reaches a fever-pitch. What happens after is left unresolved. I get the feeling it did not end well for Evy.
Evy’s struggle with her faith and her own sense of guilt push her farther down the path of paranoia and demonic possession. The sense of guilt is not unique to those of the Catholic faith, nor is Evy’s guilt entirely religious. I, for one, find it no difficult task to relate to her. She spends her evenings recording her podcast with Justin. I spend many evenings talking to my longtime friends over the internet, as well. That familiarity made it easy for me to slip into her perspective.
Tension and guilt left unresolved will rend the soul. Undertone left me with themes to reflect on, and I can understand why it didn’t land with some viewers. I appreciate the tension and the themes it presented. It is far from the scariest movie I have ever seen, which it appears some viewers expected it to be for them. I was bought into Evy’s melancholy and her inner turmoil. The auditory experience was nothing I had experienced in a film.
For a directorial debut, I think Tuason did a bang-up job, and I look forward to seeing his career improve.
TL;DR: I liked it.