Movie · 2026 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 34m · R · English
Curator score: 2.3/10 (252.7K ratings)
It wants to be heard.
Overview
The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.3/10
IMDb: 6.0/10
Letterboxd: 2.98/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Metacritic: 67
TMDB: 6.2/10
Director
Ian Tuason
Production
Black Fawn Films, Slaterverse Pictures, KINO Studios, Spooky Pictures, DimensionGate, Feel Everything Productions
Cast
Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Keana Bastidas, Jeff Yung, Michèle Duquet, Ryan Turner, Ari Millen, Marisol D’Andrea, Austin Tuason, Seled Calderon, Bianca Nugara, Jayda Woods, Sarah Beaudin, Christina Notto
Curator Review
Verdict
A lean, audio-driven paranormal horror with a strong hook and some genuinely unnerving stretches, but it sounds like the film’s execution is uneven and occasionally too familiar. If you like patient, sound-design-forward horror and can forgive a few rough edges, it’s worth a look.
Best for
viewers who enjoy slow-burn supernatural horror
fans of audio-centric or podcast-set thrillers
people who like atmospheric scares over gore
audiences drawn to modern indie horror with a minimalist setup
Skip if
you want tightly polished plotting
you’re impatient with slow pacing and repetitive investigation scenes
you dislike horror built around sound cues and offscreen menace
you prefer bigger set pieces or more overtly original premises
Overview
Undertone works best as a headphone horror movie: the premise is simple, but the film leans hard into sound, silence, and the dread of hearing something you shouldn’t. That gives it a clean, contemporary hook, and the podcast setting is a smart way to turn ordinary listening into a source of menace. When it locks into its rhythm, it can be genuinely unsettling.
Worth noting
The downside is that the concept can feel a little too familiar in the broad strokes, and the investigation structure may test patience if you’re not already on board with slow-burn supernatural horror. Some of the appeal seems to come from tone and execution rather than narrative surprise, which makes the highs dependent on whether the atmosphere lands for you.
Bottom line
For horror fans, though, there’s enough here to justify the ride. It sounds like the kind of movie that starts off almost casual, then quietly turns meaner and more disturbing as it goes, with sound design doing a lot of the heavy lifting. If you want a compact, modern ghost story with a strong sensory identity, this is in the conversation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Bailey Wertzberger (3★) · 10807 likes
some dudes be afraid to moan i be in my girl's ear like oo zoo bo mahn ee mo mook
esther (2★) · 10276 likes
hi i’m the worlds most nervous woman and my favorite activity is recording my podcast where we listen to scary audio clips in the middle of the night with all the lights off. we record 10 minutes at a time over the course of several days but we still release every friday. most of the pod is taken up by one of us googling something and not describing what we're looking at. listeners love how slowly we talk, and our… more hi i’m the worlds most nervous woman and my favorite activity is recording my podcast where we listen to scary audio clips in the middle of the night with all the lights off. we record 10 minutes at a time over the course of several days but we still release every friday. most of the pod is taken up by one of us googling something and not describing what we're looking at. listeners love how slowly we talk, and our… more
Kellen Gallagher (3★) · 9016 likes
A24 gonna sell that little statue for $79.99
𝐉 (3★) · 4856 likes
its kinda like an ASMR Paranormal Activity
George Carmi (4★) · 4125 likes
i swear to god i just spent the last hour and a half being hunted. i am so fucking scared right now. this is real. perfectly patient and frightening assault on your auditory experience.