Review: 'Undertone' is a satisfyingly dark thriller about guilt and death that plays best on the ears
What you hear is what you get in “Undertone,” an effective horror-thriller from Canada that gets its biggest scares in its sound mix.
Evy (Nina Kiri) has a lot going on for someone who almost never leaves the house. She’s a full-time caretaker for her mom (Michèle Duquet), who’s laid up in bed and approaching the end of her life. She is co-host of a podcast, “The Undertone,” playing the skeptic to her unseen audio partner Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco), the believer in the supernatural doings they talk about. As we go into the story, we suspect she’s nursing some feelings about an ex, dealing with some guilt as a lapsed Catholic, and trying to maintain her sobriety.
Evy always records the podcast at 3 a.m., we’re told to accommodate the London-based Justin’s schedule, But it’s also a fitting witching hour for spooky things to go bump in the night, or for intrusive thoughts to play on Evy’s heart and soul. Then Justin introduces a collection of 10 audio files, sent by an anonymous podcast listener. As they start listening to the files, in order, Evy and Justin try to talk through what they’re hearing — something about a young couple trying to sleep with a new baby in their lives — until it becomes … nope, can’t give away more than that.
Writer-director Ian Tuason, making his feature debut, shows a flair for composition. He sets up perfectly creepy shots that frame Evy on one side, her noise-canceling earphones eliminating distractions, and a darkened part of the house on the other, from which might come something bad.
All the best scares, though, are in the sound mix, whether it’s from Evy hears from those videos or the strange noises coming from upstairs where her mom is sleeping. “Undertone” could almost be effective a scream generator as an audio presentation, but then you wouldn’t get Tuason’s strong visuals or the chance to watch Kiri, who’s a dynamic young actor I think we’ll see more of.
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‘Undertone’
★★★
Opens Friday, March 13, in theaters everywhere. Rated R for language. Running time: 94 minutes.