A24 Surprises With Undertone: How Classic Children’s Songs Became the Backbone of a New Horror Phenomenon

When Childhood Innocence Turns Sinister: The Disturbing Origins Behind Undertone

The intersection between childhood nostalgia and pure terror takes on a chilling new form in A24’s latest horror release, Undertone. Directed and written by newcomer Ian Tuason, this film dares to dive where few horror entries have gone before—transforming the comforting lullabies and singalongs of our youth into psychological nightmares.

The Premise: Paranormal Podcasts and Ominous Audio Files

At its heart, Undertone follows a popular paranormal podcast host who becomes entangled in a haunting mystery after receiving a set of 10 enigmatic audio files. Nina Kiri commands attention as Evy, anchoring the claustrophobic, dialogue-driven experience. Alongside her, Adam DiMarco’s Justin gets pulled into a sonic web of disturbing secrets. The supporting cast quietly lurks in the background, adding texture to this stripped-down, audio-obsessed narrative.

Creepypastas and Urban Legends Meet Classic TV

While the film is steeped in the world of creepypastas and internet folklore, its most surprising inspiration comes from a beloved source: classic children’s television. Ian Tuason, self-confessed aficionado of online horror myths, recounts how he stumbled upon the concept of hidden messages embedded in songs—first by investigating a notorious rock track, then unexpectedly tumbling further when he encountered a Sesame Street song containing an unsettling secret.

Tuason admits, ‘I remember Kermit being in it, and I loved it so much because of what the hidden message was that I started writing Undertone to that song.’ Realizing the rights would be unattainable, he pivoted to centering his story around public domain children’s classics like ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’ and ‘London Bridge’. This creative compromise became the film’s signature: childlike tunes used as the connective tissue for mounting horror.

How Nursery Rhymes Become Nightmare Fuel

Unlike the overused visual jump scare, Undertone’s approach is deeply psychological. ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’ underpins the movie’s central hauntings, weaving in Evy’s complicated relationship with her mother and painting childhood innocence as inherently fragile. In parallel, Justin’s character is subjected to warped interpretations of ‘London Bridge,‘ uncovering disturbingly personalized threats within its verses—threats only he seems able to hear.

The film’s commitment to audio-driven storytelling is more than just a stylistic novelty. It reflects the real-world fascination with urban legends hiding in plain sight, and questions how the songs designed to comfort us might simultaneously contain an undercurrent of dread. This aligns with recent trends in horror where everyday artifacts, apps, or games—think of analog horror in web series or titles like Skinamarink—transform familiar spaces and sounds into sources of anxiety.

Building a Lore: The Potential of a New Trilogy

Ian Tuason isn’t stopping with a single movie. Plans are already in motion to expand Undertone’s unsettling universe into a full trilogy. Although details remain under wraps, the continued focus on auditory horror leaves ample room to explore other nursery classics or even revisit the original, childhood TV inspiration that sparked the project. The demon Abyzou, the disturbing tapes, Evy and Justin’s unresolved trauma—all are fertile ground for deepening the film’s labyrinthian mythology.

Should Undertone become a breakaway success, there’s even cautious speculation about whether the filmmakers might, in time, secure rights to bring back iconic children’s TV elements, adding yet another meta-layer to its chilling fabric.

Undertone: A24’s Next Horror Cult Classic?

Clocking in at 84 minutes, Undertone is concise by design, but it’s densely packed with pop culture resonance and fresh horror ideas. It’s not just a film for genre diehards or true crime obsessives; anyone who remembers singing along to nursery rhymes may come away questioning their own recollections. As A24 continues to redefine horror’s boundaries, Undertone stands out as a haunting reminder that sometimes, the things meant to comfort us are the most dangerous after dark.