A24's undertone: Ian Tuason turns sound and imagination into a horror experience
A24’s undertone, directed by Ian Tuason, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and is described in a MovieWeb review by Zachary Lee as an early contender for one of 2026’s most terrifying horror films. The review calls undertone a slow-burning mystery that crescendos into a nightmarish, audio-driven experience, designed to “rattle” viewers by weaponizing imagination.
Tuason’s use of negative space, creeping zooms and immersive sound design is credited with prompting the audience to supply its own horrors. The film is small-scale, mostly confined to a single house and featuring two on-screen actors: Nina Kiri as Evy, who cares for her comatose mother (Michèle Duquet), and Kris Holden-Ried as Justin.
Lee highlights a chilling opening in which Kiri sings “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” over her mother’s raspy breathing while the camera lingers on household details. Within the story, Evy co-hosts a paranormal podcast with Justin, who plays a series of 10 recordings that begin to mirror Evy’s life.
The review emphasizes how ordinary sounds—phone notifications, exhales, a tea kettle—are rendered terrifying, and notes Tuason has been chosen to direct the next Paranormal Activity film. Lee also flags the film’s spiritual thread: religious iconography throughout Evy’s home and hints that Evy has deconstructed her faith raise questions about whether she has the spiritual resources to confront what’s happening.
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