Undertone review: An unnerving feat in audible terror
‘Undertone’ skillfully uses sound to create an unsettling narrative about a podcast that explores the sinister side of nursery rhymes.
Podcasts are the evolution of the radio show. The ease of recording anywhere, self-distributing and engaging a global audience means anyone can — and does — do it. Of course, public personas open themselves up to unusual fan mail. In Undertone, a mysterious email could result in a podcast’s last ever episode.
Evy (Nina Kiri) and Justin’s (Adam DiMarco) podcast, “The Undertone,” discusses supernatural occurrences. She’s the skeptic and he’s the believer, which means they constantly challenge each other’s perspectives. Though they live an ocean apart, they meet online every week to record their latest episode. In the meantime, Evy is caring for her dying mother (Michèle Duquet) and the show is a welcome distraction from her demanding responsibilities.
They recently received an anonymous message containing 10 audio files that will serve as the basis of their upcoming discussion. However, as they listen, Evy begins to recognize troubling parallels to her life. As the recordings grow more disturbing, Justin has reservations about continuing. But Evy insists they push forward even as she teeters on the edge of madness.
Beginning the narrative with Evy caring for her ailing mother immediately creates a feeling of dread in the house. The visiting nurse tells Evy her mother could pass any day now, putting her on a death watch. The news creates a morbid sense of suspense as every ragged breath her mother takes could be her last. Confronting mortality, even when a life ends naturally, can be a scary endeavour. Setting a horror story in a home with someone on their deathbed who is not expected to move generates instant anxiety.
Evy and her mother are completely isolated in the house and the film. There are several voice actors, including Justin and callers for their podcast, but audiences only ever see the two women. This constraint cleverly intensifies all of the abnormal occurrences in the picture.
As the narrative progresses, the atmosphere grows dense with fear. Remarkably, Evy dons noise-cancelling headphones whenever she uses her laptop. The effect of blocking everything else out strengthens the immersion into her conversations with Justin and the audio files. But it also makes her vulnerable to whatever may be occurring around her. This is expertly emphasized by the camera that slowly pans to the seemingly empty hallway or dark corner of the living room while she sits engrossed at her computer.
Writer-director Ian Tuason adeptly uses sound to increase the tension throughout his feature debut. The audio recordings begin innocently as a man tries to capture his partner talking in her sleep. But soon she’s doing much more than that. Unfortunately, the sound clips are brief and always stop before providing answers. This brevity effectively frustrates viewers and leads to wild speculation — primarily by Justin — about what may be happening to the couple.
As the believer between the podcasting duo, Justin makes everything more disturbing by giving it supernatural context. While they discuss what they’ve heard, he searches for lore that can ground the horrors in reality. Consequently, they discover seemingly harmless nursery rhymes may carry sinister hidden messages when played in reverse.
Notably, the “evidence” Justin finds online reinforces his arguments against Evy’s weak attempts to dismiss or explain away the peculiar things they hear in the recordings. Any claims that it’s all a hoax feels like a cop out.
But the couple’s conversations are not the only unsettling sounds recorded. There are loud, ominous thumps of unknown origin, a baby crying and strange whispers that seem to come from every direction. The 360-degree sound design is exceptional at enveloping the audience in this audible nightmare.
Grimm fairy tales are notoriously gruesome in spite of being meant for children. Similarly, some nursery rhymes have surprisingly dark verses. But this narrative takes that notion to another level. The spine-chilling, final 10 minutes will have viewers gripping their armrests until the credits roll.
Can’t wait to see what Tuason brings to the Paranormal Activity franchise.
Director: Ian Tuason
Starring: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco and Michèle Duquet
