Ian Tuason's Undertone Shows He's a Good Fit to Reboot Paranormal Activity

Undertone is the directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Ian Tuason. The film relies heavily on audio for its original narrative, following a young woman's increasingly sinister haunting after she plays a cursed series of audio files on her paranormal podcast. Shot in Tuason's childhood home, Undertone debuted to largely positive reviews and earned A24 for U.S.

distribution despite a $500,000 budget. Tuason's restraint sets the film apart. Rather than lean on jump scares, he uses sound, silence and shadow—from Evey's headphones to the house haunted by her dying mother—to let viewers' imaginations complete the picture.

That subtle approach impressed teams at Paramount and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, and Tuason has been tapped to direct the eighth Paranormal Activity film alongside James Wan, Jason Blum and Oren Peli. The low-budget aesthetic that delivers scares on $500,000 recalls the original Paranormal Activity, which cost roughly $15,000 and went on to earn over $107 million.

Canada

ian tuason, undertone, paranormal activity, james wan, jason blum, oren peli, a24, blumhouse, audio horror, low budget