Undertone channels viral creepypasta in A24 horror

A24’s Undertone centers on a mysterious set of audio files that pull podcasters Evy (Nina Kiri) and Justin (Adam DiMarco) into contact with a predatory paranormal force. The film layers familiar creepypasta elements—a creepy doll, a cursed viral video, unnerving stick-figure drawings and an eerie figurine that appears in unexpected places—often staging scenes around 3 a.m.

and drawing on ancient mythology for some of its darker moments. Writer-director Ian Tuason, a viral VR filmmaker who was recently tapped to reboot the Paranormal Activity series, describes the project plainly: “this movie was built on top of creepypastas.” He situates Undertone within a longer arc of creepypasta-influenced cinema, from early independent efforts and studio missteps to more recent films by creators steeped in the scene, and notes the same sensibility surfacing elsewhere in contemporary horror.

Tuason’s ties to the form go back to the early days of online lore.

a24, undertone, creepypasta, ian tuason, paranormal activity, viral video, creepy doll, nina kiri, adam dimarco, vr filmmaker