The Haunting Whisper of ‘Undertone’: A24 Redefines Audio Horror
A new brainchild from A24 is making serious noise—both among critics and within the film itself. ‘Undertone’, directed and written by Ian Tuason, marks the filmmaker’s striking debut. The film stars Nina Kiri, widely recognized for her intense roles, this time stepping into the shoes of a paranormal podcast host. As she tends to her terminally ill mother, eerie audio recordings begin to unravel a supernatural threat, drawing the viewer into a chamber of tension and dread that’s as psychological as it is unnerving.
Nina Kiri and a Cast that Channels Unease
The talent assembled for ‘Undertone’ goes beyond its lead. Alongside Kiri, the film features evocative performances from Evy Babic, Kristen Holden-Ried, and Justin Michèle Duquet, each delivering an added layer of discomfort and vulnerability. The runtime of 84 minutes might seem compact, yet the movie leverages every moment to build suspense, leveraging Tuason’s unique vision and horror sensibilities.
A Wave of Praise—Rotten Tomatoes Reception
As ‘Undertone’ approaches its theatrical release, it already boasts an impressive 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Early reactions burst forth from genre festivals like Fantasia and Sundance, where the film made its first chilling impressions. While some reviewers go for nuanced responses—sprinkling in grades like 2.5/4 or C+—a significant number of critics land on the more enthusiastic end of the spectrum. James Preston Poole, writing for But Why Tho?, awarded the movie a perfect score of 10 out of 10, warning, ‘it actively curses the audience.’
A24’s Horror Trajectory: Peaks, Valleys, and New Momentum
‘Undertone’ arrives at a moment when A24’s reputation in horror is both lauded and scrutinized. The studio’s genre titles have oscillated between Certified Fresh triumphs and surprisingly divisive reactions. After strong showings for ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ and ‘MaXXXine’, more recent horror projects toggled unpredictably between Fresh and Rotten, with titles like ‘Opus’ (39%) and ‘The Front Room’ (40%) dragging down the average. But ‘Undertone’, hot on the heels of ‘Bring Her Back’ (89%) and genre standouts like ‘Heretic’ (90%), signals a return to form for the studio’s edgier tastes.
Audio, Anxiety, and the New Age of Horror Technique
The premise of ‘Undertone’—where sound and technology unleash terror—is perfectly in tune with modern anxieties about surveillance, media saturation, and our constant exposure to the unknown. The movie’s protagonist, a podcast host, is emblematic of today’s culture, where personal stories are shared as haunted transmissions and boundaries between private and public terrors blur. The film’s sound design, already praised in well-attended preview screenings, is set to become a subject of conversation among cinephiles and horror aficionados alike.
The Future: Can A24 Maintain Its Hot Streak?
With ‘Undertone’ riding a high Rotten Tomatoes score and no signs of critical fatigue, attention is now focused on A24’s future slate. Major releases on the horizon include the Chiwetel Ejiofor-led ‘Backrooms’, featuring the acclaimed Renate Reinsve, Adam Wingard’s ‘Onslaught’, and a return to muscular genre territory with Jeremy Saulnier’s ‘October’. Coveted creators and risk-taking narratives are A24’s signature, and the positive response to ‘Undertone’ only strengthens the studio’s standing as a tastemaker in modern horror cinema.
Movies that play with technological paranoia, psychological depth, and raw emotional stakes continue to find a home—and an audience—at A24. If ‘Undertone’ is any indication, the appetite for intelligent, stylish horror is nowhere near sated.
