Undertone Proves the Scariest Horror Lives Inside the Home

 

Undertone is shaping up to be one of the most disturbing psychological horror films in A24’s growing catalog. Directed by Ian Tuason, the Sundance breakout transforms lockdown-era anxiety, family obligation, and sound itself into an intimate nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll.

The film draws heavily from Tuason’s real-life experience of moving back into his childhood home to care for his ailing parents. What begins as a familiar, emotionally grounded situation slowly mutates into something deeply unsettling. Inspired by The Exorcist—specifically the idea of turning something inherently safe into a source of terror—Tuason asks a chilling question: what happens when the voice you trust the most begins to sound… wrong?

Rather than relying on jump scares or monsters, Undertone weaponizes silence. The story follows Evy, a podcast host whose life revolves around recorded sound. Tuason designs the film’s audio to mimic the sensation of wearing noise-cancelling headphones, creating a disorienting void where viewers are never sure what noises are real and which exist only in Evy’s perception. The result is an invasive, claustrophobic experience that practically demands to be watched with headphones.

Adding to the film’s unsettling authenticity, Undertone was shot inside Tuason’s actual parents’ home. While this decision helped keep the budget low, it also blurred the line between fiction and reality. The director has admitted that living inside the set of his own horror film made the house feel haunted long after filming ended—an eerie parallel to the film’s themes.

The industry response has been overwhelming. Following its Sundance debut, A24 quickly acquired the film and set a March 13 theatrical release. Even more telling, Tuason has already caught the attention of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, who tapped him to reimagine the Paranormal Activity franchise.

At its core, Undertone argues that the greatest horror isn’t the unknown—it’s familiarity. By turning a childhood home, a parent’s voice, and silence itself into instruments of fear, Tuason delivers a debut that is deeply personal, profoundly unsettling, and impossible to ignore.

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