“Undertone” Review: An Overhyped Horror Experiment That Goes Nowhere

After missing it at Sundance, I finally had the opportunity to check out “Undertone” from A24. This horror film marks the writing and directing debut of Ian Tuaso. The story follows Evy (Nina Kiri) and her best friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), who are podcast hosts covering spooky content. Evy has recently moved back home to care for her dying mother.

Evy and Justin receive recordings of a pregnant couple’s paranormal encounters, and even the skeptic Evy believes it’s just another ruse. However, as they delve deeper into the recordings, Evy discovers that the couple’s story parallels her own with each tape, pushing her toward madness.

Ever since “The Blair Witch Project” was released in 1999, studios have often promoted horror films as the next big thing. For me, excluding “Hereditary,” the hype is rarely warranted, and “Undertone” falls into that category. One thing viewers should know about the film is that it takes place in a single location, featuring only Evy and her bedridden mother (Michele Duquet) on screen. I credit Tuaso for what he accomplished with limited resources, but the film quickly goes off the rails, primarily due to its slow pace and unresolved ideas.

As the audience listens to the tapes, there are hints at the dark side of nursery rhymes, which is a creative concept, but it is never fully developed. Tuaso also touches on the sacrifices of caregiving, but this idea, too, lacks depth. It’s disappointing because our lead actress is committed to the material; she deserves a stronger script.

Similarly, Adam DiMarco does what he can in his voice-only role. Although Justin could have easily been portrayed as a wise-cracking pothead, DiMarco gives him substance, and I wish he had a better script to work with. The promotional materials bill “Undertone” as “the scariest movie you’ll ever hear,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I saw the film in Dolby and felt nothing; judging by the sleeping audience members around me, they felt the same.

Perhaps if Tuaso had studied William Castle’s playbook, he could have produced a better finished product. For instance, the screen could have been pitch-black while Evy listened to the recordings, immersing the audience in the moment and relying solely on their ears rather than their vision.

Easily earning a spot on my list of the ten worst films of the year, “Undertone” is an overhyped mess of wasted ideas.

Final Grade: F

“Undertone” opens in theaters tomorrow