Undertone (film)
| Undertone | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ian Tuason |
| Screenplay by | Ian Tuason |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Graham Beasley |
| Edited by | Sonny Atkins |
| Music by | Shanika Lewis-Waddell |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | VVS Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000[1] |
Undertone (stylized as undertone) is a 2025 Canadian horror film written and directed by Ian Tuason, in his directorial debut.[2] The film stars Nina Kiri as Evy, a woman who hosts a paranormal podcast with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), where she is the skeptic to his believer. After Evy moves back home to become the caregiver to her dying mother (Michèle Duquet), she and Justin are sent recordings by a married couple experiencing paranormal noises in their home, drawing Evy into fear and paranoia.[3]
Evy and her mother are the only characters to be shown on-screen in the film. All other characters are heard only as off-screen voices, thus conveying the film's horror through its sound design.[3]
Undertone had premiered at the Fantasia on July 27, 2025, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by A24 on March 13, 2026, and by VVS Films in Canada. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Tuason's directing, atmosphere and Kiri's performance.
Cast
- Nina Kiri as Evy
- Adam DiMarco as Justin
- Michèle Duquet as Mama
- Keana Lyn Bastidas as Jessa
- Jeff Yung as Mike
- Sarah Beaudin as Abby
- Brian Quintero as Dr. Ram
Production
The film was shot in February 2025 with production taking place in Rexdale, a neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada.[4]
Release
Undertone premiered at the 29th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27, 2025,[5] where it won the gold audience award for Canadian films.[6] In August 2025, A24 acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film in a seven-figure deal, and it is scheduled to be released on March 13, 2026, in the United States and Canada.[7][8] Canadian distribution rights were acquired by VVS Films in January 2026.[9]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 33 critics' reviews are positive.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
References
- ^ @ashotmagazine; (January 9, 2026). "First look at Ian Tuason's 'UNDERTONE'. Made on a $500K budget, the film was acquired by A24 in a seven-figure deal, an unprecedented sum for a debut director. The story follows a popular paranormal podcast host caring for her dying mother, whose life begins to unravel when she's haunted by mysterious recordings of strange noises captured inside a married couple's home. In theaters March 13". Retrieved January 11, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ Andrew Mack, "THE UNDERTONE: First Look at Canadian Horror, Premieres at Fantasia This Month!". Screen Anarchy, July 8, 2025.
- ^ a b Andy Mauro, "Fantasia ’25 Movie Review: “THE UNDERTONE” sounds like something new and terrifying". Rue Morgue, August 3, 2025.
- ^ Jamie Casemore, "Production wraps on Ian Tuason’s feature debut The Undertone". Playback, February 26, 2025.
- ^ Nicholas Sokic, "Fantasia adds more Canadian films to 2025 lineup". Playback, July 3, 2025.
- ^ Michael Gingold, "Fantasia International Film Festival announces Audience Awards and 2026 dates". Rue Morgue, August 5, 2025.
- ^ Matt Grobar, "A24 Prevails In Competitive Bidding For Ian Tuason Horror Film 'The Undertone' Following Pic's Fantasia Fest Premiere". Deadline Hollywood, August 11, 2025.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (2026-01-08). "'Paranormal Activity' Reboot Director's New Horror Film Will Have You Hearing the Sounds of Terror". Collider. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ Jamie Casemore, "VVS Films acquires Canadian rights to Ian Tuason’s undertone". Playback, January 23, 2026.
- ^ "undertone". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "undertone Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2026.