undertone Review: Paranormal Podcast Horror Boasts Exceptional and Terrifying Sound Mix, But an Underbaked and Derpy Script

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Radio is a unique art form because it works directly with our imaginations. It leaves space for listeners to fill in details themselves. When radio first became popular, many people told stories about ghosts and demons using the airwaves. While a lot of this was likely due to fear and misunderstanding of the new technology, those feelings never really disappeared. With every new innovation, people tend to become suspicious, and something always seems to tap into our deepest fears.

Podcasts are everywhere these days, and their rise in popularity has happened at the same time as our fascination with true crime and the paranormal. The film undertone capitalizes on this trend with remarkably high-quality sound design – arguably the best in the genre. It also cleverly uses both silence and visuals, encouraging viewers to carefully examine every scene for hints of danger. The film is most effective when it plays with what you expect to happen, creating a sense of unease.

Despite some impressive directing and visual flair, the film is ultimately let down by a weak and confusing script. Ian Tuason clearly has talent – he’s even been chosen to direct future installments in the Paranormal Activity series – but this film doesn’t showcase his potential effectively. The story simply lacks the depth and logic it needs, making for a frustrating viewing experience.

undertone Is A See-Saw Battle Between Genuine Auditory Terror & Outright Silly Writing

The film Undertone centers on Evy (Nina Kiri), a woman largely confined to the edges of life. She spends most of her time caring for her ailing mother (Michèle Duquet), and her main link to the outside world is her successful podcast about the paranormal, also called The Undertone. While she has a boyfriend, Darren (Ryan Turner), Evy feels a stronger connection with her podcast co-host, Justin (Adam DiMarco), with whom she records the show from different continents – conveniently requiring her to record around 3 a.m., a fitting time for a spooky broadcast.

The show has a straightforward format: Justin fully believes in ghosts and the paranormal, while Evy approaches everything with skepticism. Each episode features a story they discuss – often as it unfolds – and they debate whether it suggests a connection to the afterlife. Evy’s skeptical viewpoint is highlighted by the strong religious beliefs of her mother, evidenced by the many Christian symbols and decorations throughout their home, which the show frequently points out. While not always subtle, the contrast is very clear.

Outside of recording their podcast, Evy’s life is pretty chaotic. Her relationship with Darren is shaky, and finding out she’s pregnant has only added to the stress. But on the podcast itself, Justin has a potentially exciting idea. He received a strange email containing ten audio files from what appears to be an automated sender. He suggests they listen to the files live on air and react to whatever’s on them.

The audio is unsettling. It begins with a seemingly innocent recording of a man, Mike (Jeff Yung), trying to show his wife, Jessa (Keana Bastidas), that she talks while asleep. However, it quickly turns strange, becoming a blend of static and children’s songs played backward. Justin believes hidden messages are within the recording, but Evy either genuinely doubts it or is trying to suppress her growing fear, and claims there’s nothing there.

It’s increasingly difficult to dismiss what’s happening. Tuason expertly avoids typical horror tropes, leading you to believe for most of the film that Evy is simply exhausted and imagining things. However, the film’s sound design is so immersive that you’re constantly on edge, scrutinizing every shadow and movement to see if it’s truly something supernatural.

Evy’s personality doesn’t quite match her goal of creating podcasts, and the podcast itself is awkwardly silly. Whenever the movie goes back to their forced, overly friendly conversations, any suspense disappears and the story stops moving. Kiri is a captivating performer, but her character feels anxious and inconsistent, especially considering she claims to listen to every potentially dangerous audio file despite the increasing risks.

The podcast within the film feels unrealistic compared to how podcasts are actually made. It’s odd that the characters appear to record in very short bursts, yet still manage to release a new episode every week. We only ever see one character, Evy (and her mother, who is unconscious), which effectively isolates her, but doesn’t quite feel believable. Given they’re creating a podcast, it’s strange they don’t use video chat like Zoom or FaceTime to record together.

The biggest problem with the podcast undertone is its inconsistency. For every smart, well-crafted decision the creators make, there’s an equally baffling one. It depends heavily on its excellent audio quality, yet also features strangely muted images of religious figures and screenshots of basic audio software. It often feels unplanned, as the hosts frequently search for information on Google while recording.

It’s almost ironic that this horror movie, which centers on a podcast, is sometimes interesting and sometimes not – it mirrors the experience of listening to a podcast! However, that inconsistency makes it hard to fully enjoy. Maybe the real source of terror for Evy isn’t a haunting, but the feeling that her podcast just isn’t very good.

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2026-03-10 19:09