‘Undertone’ review: Silence in the darkness

The use of atmosphere and build-up in A24’s Undertone leaves you with plenty of chills, but its execution is noticeably void of any thrills.

The uncertainty of what’s hiding in the darkness can sometimes be scarier than the actual demons. A creepy sound, a looming stare, and a shroud of darkness send shivers up our spines, leaving us with questions of whether to explore or not. A24’s new auditory horror film, Undertone, plays off those rising fears. From writer/director Ian Tuason, Undertone channels the dread of a paranormal haunting that grows in a mysterious, quiet home. While the uncertainty does the heavy lifting of Undertone’s terror, by the end, you’ll be left wondering if anything of substance truly happened at all.

Undertone is a closed-house horror film told through the span of two nightly podcast recordings. The film focuses entirely on the point-of-view of Evy (Nina Kiri), a horror podcast host of “The Undertone.” Evy is the main skeptic of any supernatural stories, but her podcast host, Justin (Adam DiMarco), is the true believer. Justin is kept to voice-only while all events take place in Evy’s home.

During their latest episode recording, Evy and Justin explore a series of mysterious audio files. As they progress through each file, strange and eerie hauntings begin unfolding within the home. Undertone captures Evy navigating the recordings as they become more sinister, and her feelings as she cares for her dying mother.

Voices everywhere.

Undertone relies on its character-driven pacing to push the story forward. There are only two people on-screen throughout the entire 94-minute runtime: Evy and her sick mother. Beyond that, audio characters make up the supporting cast to flesh out the experience. Evy’s actions and external debate carry the weight between the recordings, filling in the needed exposition. Kiri shines as the conflicted and heartbroken Evy; she channels the heartbreak of her character’s situation, and terror as it builds up around her.

Though, the strongest dynamic comes during Evy and Justin’s podcast recordings. Their friendship sets the foundation for where Undertone grows, capturing the love (and eventual dread) as they spiral into this chaos. Both characters feel their most human and realistic while they’re recording their podcast. Sure, they say multiple times that they need to “get back into character,” but Undertone easily translates their onscreen chemistry. Whereas everything around Evy is unknown, the friendship is a strong thread throughout.

Bump in the night.

Undertone’s greatest asset, however, is its build-up of tension. Specifically, the film is shot both beautifully and eerily. Its use of extended cuts and long panning shots emphasizes a dread in Evy’s home. Undertone makes a pointed note of how empty and lonely this setting has become, how sound is the only thing filling up the space.

Darkness is this film’s best friend. An overabundance of empty and negative space does a great job in representing Evy’s loneliness. She’s alone as she cares for her mother, wishing to hear her voice and presence again. But the negative space also serves as Undertone’s method to manifest uncertainty in the house.

Is something hiding in the darkness? Should we be focusing on the room corner or the door as Evy records her podcast? The uncertainty plays with your mind, keeping you on your toes so you don’t feel safe. Any long-time horror fan or reasonable skeptic would stop listening to the audio files and leave that house immediately. However, since Evy is in the metaphorical driver’s seat, we as the audience are left to watch and wonder if anything will happen. And Undertone uses this trick plenty, both to its benefit and detriment.

Shivering with anticipation.

On the other hand, Undertone relies on this editing trick way too much. To put it bluntly: nothing really happens in Undertone, at least for what you’ll see on screen. Undertone is a movie about build-up; this is a story experience of someone making their way through the audio files. The horror tension rises throughout, but the payoff doesn’t land. You’ll be left wondering if something will happen rather than the moments of something truly happening.

Ultimately, that excitement and dread wear off quickly. The mystery surrounding the audio files is enough to keep us hooked, but the flickering moments of a paranormal entity are too few and far between. Undertone wants to be on the same level as a Paranormal Activity or Host. The issue, however, is that it doesn’t go far enough to show us how the horror translates. Instead, you’ll be getting plenty of black screens and sounds telling us what is happening off-screen.

And unfortunately, the ending climax doesn’t make up for it. The final act provides some answers surrounding the entity terrorizing the pair, but ambiguity still plays a sinister trick. Don’t get me wrong, Undertone doesn’t need to wrap itself in a pretty bow. However, after 94 minutes of build-up and tension, you would hope to see a satisfying payoff for where the journey takes us. It doesn’t.

The bottom line.

Undertone is a horror film that’s more flash than substance. The looming dread and camera shots create a spine-tingling terror throughout its minimal plot. Evy, her mother’s care, and the recordings with Justin build a strong emotional current, pushing the heart within the darkness. But even with a growing mystery and tricks of the paranormal, there’s not much else to keep you coming back for more. Undertone is more muted than anything else.

Undertone is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of Dustin Rabin/A24. Read more articles by Justin Carreiro here.