A24 horror movie undertone, set in the world of podcasts, has been scaring up rave reviews from critics.
The film, which describes itself as “the scariest movie you’ll ever hear”, was made in Canada and arrives in US cinemas this Friday (March 13). A UK release is scheduled for April 10. The plot follows a paranormal podcaster named Evy (Nina Kiri) who receives recordings of a couple hearing unsettling noises in their home. As she begins to draw links to her own life, the recordings drive her toward paranoia and fear.
So far, the movie has had mostly positive reviews, with critics praising its timeliness. Katie Rife of AV Club wrote: “undertone is the perfect horror film for our era, one in which superstition and technology not only coexist, but feed one another.”
In his review for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico explained: “Some will argue that all of the themes of undertone don’t connect, but that’s a feature, not a bug. This is a film that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself. Nightmares rarely do.”
YouTube critic Perri Nemiroff compared the film to another classic genre, which also mixed technology with scares. “Remarkably unsettling” she said. “The first movie to keep me up at night since Paranormal Activity.”
Film industry bible Variety pointed to Kiri’s performance as a standout. Writer Siddhant Adlakha called the film “a one-woman performance showcase that makes ingenious use of visual and auditory negative space.”
A24 has established a reputation over the years of championing new and innovative horror films. Boasting hits such as Hereditary, Bring Her Back, Heretic, and more, filmmakers such as Robert Eggers and Ari Aster have become celebrated names in the genre through their collaborations with the studio.
Away from horror, the studio has also made several collaborations with Charli XCX, who recently wrote a song for the forthcoming Anne Hathaway musical-drama Mother Mary.
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