Undertone Review

Two elements of Undertone should be commended. One is Nina Kiri’s lead performance. Undertone isn’t exactly a one-woman show, although most of the Kiri’s co-stars are restricted to voiceovers. The only other onscreen performer spends the majority of the film incapacitated. Despite lacking a screen partner to work off of, Kiri is utterly convincing as a woman who’s either going mad or falling victim to the madness closing in on her. This madness is conveyed less through the film’s visuals and more from its sound, which is the other element that deserves praise.

Sound in general is one aspect of film that we often take for granted. In Undertone, David Gertsman’s sound design and Dane Kelly’s sound mixing are so meticulous that you don’t just hear a clock tick. You feel every movement of the clock hands. It’s just as effective and Oscar-worthy as the use of sound in A Quiet Place, but Undertone is more understated in its approach. Between Kiri’s performance and the chilling sound effects, a part of me wants to recommend Undertone. The film falls short, however, in a key area: the story. The film is a slow burn, and by the time we see what it’s building toward, it’s not really worth the investment.

Kiri plays Evy, one half of a podcasting duo. Adam DiMarco voices Justin, who believes in all things supernatural (other than maybe Santa Claus). Evy is the skeptic of their podcast, which unpacks paranormal stories. When Justin receives a series of mysterious audio files from a married couple, the two can’t resist listening to them one by one. The files offer a mix of urban legend, nursery rhymes, and unnerving noises that the two try to dissect. Although Evy is critical, the sounds seem to be creeping out of her laptop and throughout her home.

Evy lives with her mama (Michèle Duquet), who is seemingly on her deathbed. Caring for her mom, Evy contemplates whether she can raise a baby as well. Evy finds herself pregnant, although her boyfriend is also naturally an unseen presence. On a $500,000 budget, first-time director Ian Tuason makes atmospheric use of the limited environment. Relying on the sound work and power of suggestion, Undertone does get under our skin with several eerie sequences. As the film goes on, though, these scenes begin to meander. Even at just 94 minutes, Undertone feels like it would’ve left a greater impact as a short. As a feature, it leaves you wanting more, especially during the climax.

Not necessarily more answers, as the ambiguity suits Undertone’s overall tone. For a film that starts with a fairly unique setup, though, Undertone eventually unravels with tricks we’ve seen before. For over a decade now, elevated horror has taken the genre to bolder and more experimental places, with A24 usually providing backing. Undertone is in the spirit of other A24 films such as Hereditary and Talk to Me, but unlike those films, it doesn’t quite know how to stick the landing. Everyone involved shows genuine promise, and I’m eager to see what they’ll all do in the future. Yet, despite the strong acting and audio, Undertone is ultimately underwhelming.