Review: Undertone

Image courtesy of A24.

Ian Tuason's "Undertone" is a film that I admired and found effective, even if it ultimately felt a little thin and didn't excite me like some of the best examples of the horror genre that we've seen recently - "Weapons," "Sinners," or "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," for example. The picture makes great use of its single location, it has an unsettlingly effective sound design, and utilizes negative space - also, it's legitimately scary at moments.

The elements that hold "Undertone" back are its story and characterization. The film jumps right into the action as Evy (Nina Kiri), a young woman living at home with her bedridden and ailing mother, and her friend, Justin (Adam DiMarco), who is only heard and not seen, have wrapped up their latest podcast. Their subject matter revolves around supernatural occurrences - often captured on video or audio - that Evy wants to debunk, whereas Justin seems to be more of the true believer.

We only learn a little about Evy as the film moves forward. She seemingly once had a drinking problem, though not much is made of that, and she seems to blame herself for her mother's deteriorating condition, although little is made of that either. Her mother (Michelle Duquet) is positioned on a bed in an upstairs bedroom with her eyes closed and never says a word.

Justin forwards to Evy a group of 10 audio files that were mysteriously sent to him. They appear to be documents of a couple who underwent some sort of supernatural occurrence. The man recording the files claimed that his wife was talking in her sleep and, to prove it to her, began recording her. 

The recordings become increasingly bizarre and frightening as they include strange, unexplainable children's chants and other noises. Justin increasingly becomes convinced that it all has something to do with an ancient demon named Abyzou, who is often blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality. 

Much of the terror in the film has to do with its sound design. Most of the sound we hear comes through Evy's noise-cancelling headphones, but she and the audience increasingly begin to wonder whether the sounds she is hearing are coming from the headphones or her own house. The filmmakers also effectively place Evy on the far side of the frame during a number of shots, leaving the viewer to glance into the darkness on the other side and wonder whether we're actually seeing something or if it's our imagination.

So, while "Undertone" is effective in its sound design and visuals, it often feels undercooked in its storyline. Much like the "Paranormal Activity" films, from which this one seems to have taken some inspiration, it's all about the plot and the scares, rather than building a story. Although Kiri is good as the lead, her character is underwritten and her motivations aren't particularly clear. 

This is a film that is effective for those looking to be creeped out a little, but not so much for those who want something more - which, in this current age of high-quality horror movies, isn't a naive expectation.