Undertone - A24's Creepy Podcast
🎬 Undertone (2026) Review — A24’s Creepiest Podcast Yet?
#HorrorMovies #A24Horror #Undertone #FilmTwitter #HorrorCommunity #MovieReview #DolbyAtmos
First Take: A24 Does It Again
If you’re keeping a running list of the best horror movies of 2026, go ahead and pencil Undertone in near the top.
A24 has made a habit of turning horror into something stylish, unsettling, and psychologically sticky, and this film keeps that streak alive. What makes Undertone interesting is how deceptively simple it feels. For most of the runtime, you’re essentially watching one character on screen—and yet the tension never drops.
It almost feels like a slow-burn horror movie, but the pacing actually moves along at a healthy clip. The escalation is carefully measured from start to finish, building layer upon layer of dread until the final act hits like a freight train.
And that climax?
One of the MOST intense horror finales I’ve experienced in years.
What Makes Undertone Work
🎧 Sound Is the Real Monster
Horror without sound design is like meat without spice—it technically works, but it’s painfully bland. Undertone understands this perfectly.
Because the story revolves around podcasting and audio recording, the film gets to play with sound in ways most horror movies can’t. Whispers, static, subtle tones, eerie silence—the entire auditory landscape becomes a weapon.
If you can catch this in Dolby Atmos, do it. Seriously.
The film is built for it.
🎥 The Camera Never Lets You Relax
Another standout element is the cinematography.
Nearly every shot involving the lead character (played by Nina Kiri) feels slightly… wrong.
The framing often places her off-center, pushed to the far left or right of the screen. Sometimes she shares the frame with a mirror or reflective surface, forcing your attention to scan the image for something lurking in the background.
This simple technique creates a constant subconscious tension. Your brain keeps asking:
“What am I supposed to be seeing right now?”
And when something actually does happen then your body tightens up in your legs, arms, and chest with such an intensity that it feels as though your body has been gripped by fear itself and is squeezing you all over!
🎢 That Final Sequence
Without spoiling anything, the ending deserves special mention.
The climax plays almost like a visual roller coaster, where the camera movements pull your eyes upward, sideways, or deeper into the frame as if you’re physically trying to chase what’s entering the shot.
It feels like a carnival ride or some VR horror experience where you’re in a nightmare you can’t escape from unless you close your eyes. The problem is, you are driven to find out what lies around the corner, down the hall, up the stairs, in the rooms, and so you force yourself to watch the nightmare unfold.
It’s a brilliantly crafted moment of cinematic dread.
Anything That Doesn’t Work?
Honestly? Not much.
The writing is sharp, the concept is fresh, and the execution is confident.
The only real hiccup comes during the final act where the protagonist delivers a few lines that land a little… corny. In context, they make sense—someone experiencing a full psychological breakdown probably wouldn’t be delivering perfectly crafted dialogue.
But hearing those lines out loud might make you do a quick nose-pinch cringe.
Still, it’s a tiny blemish on an otherwise stellar horror experience.
The Real Horror Beneath the Story
At its core, Undertone functions as a cautionary horror tale.
It pulls from some of the most primal themes imaginable:
religion
sickness and aging
motherhood
death
the supernatural
 |
| Baba Black Sheep |
Yes, the ones you grew up hearing.
The movie dives into the unsettling origins of classics like:
Rock-a-bye Baby
London Bridge Is Falling Down
Baa Baa Black Sheep
And if you’ve ever looked into the darker interpretations of these rhymes, you know they can get… grim.
There’s something uniquely disturbing about discovering that the most innocent childhood songs may have sinister roots. The film leans into that discomfort hard—and it works beautifully.
Because let’s be honest, anything creepy tied to children’s culture is basically instant horror gold!
Horror Meets Modern Media
Another clever angle here is the podcasting format.
Horror has always loved exploring new media formats. We’ve seen it with:
VHS tapes (V/H/S, 2012)
Super 8 home movies (Sinister, 2012)
YouTube and livestreams (The Cleansing Hour, 2019)
social media (Unfriended, 2014)
But podcasting is surprisingly untapped territory for horror storytelling.
Because the medium is so dependent on audio, it gives supernatural elements a whole new playground.
Writer-director Ian Tuason also deserves credit for avoiding a common horror trope: the stubborn skeptic who refuses to acknowledge the supernatural until the very end.
The protagonist here feels genuinely rational, even as strange events begin to pile up—making her journey feel far more believable than many similar stories.
Final Verdict
Undertone is exactly the kind of horror movie A24 fans hope for:
✔ stylish
✔ unsettling
✔ smartly written
✔ built around atmosphere rather than cheap scares
The film’s narrow cast keeps the story focused while the sound design and cinematography do the heavy lifting of making your skin crawl.
If you want the full experience, watch it in a theater with powerful sound.
Just remember the film’s warning:
“Don’t listen to all ten.”
🎬 If You Liked Undertone, Watch These
🎥 The Possession (2012)
A young girl becomes possessed after her father buys a mysterious antique box at a yard sale. Often called the “Jewish Exorcist” film.
🎥 Sinister (2012)
Ethan Hawke discovers a series of disturbing home movies that reveal a malevolent force targeting children.
🎥 The Possession of Michael King (2014)
An atheist filmmaker tests dark rituals to prove the supernatural doesn’t exist… only to discover something may actually answer.
🎥 The Offering (2022)
A grieving family becomes the target of an ancient evil unleashed after a tragic loss.
A Little Easter Egg Hunting
Again, I won’t spoil anything here, but the film has some very interesting connections to other horror projects.
If you’re into cinematic rabbit holes and horror lore, there are a few subtle threads worth pulling.
(And yes—those connections are exactly the kind of thing worth diving into deeper analysis videos.)
Check out my Instagram at moviemaster13 to check out the video for further discussion!
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