The Undertone (2026)

 The Undertone 

A24 Studios 

Released: March 13th 2026 

If you are new to reading my blog be advised, I try not to give too many spoilers on new movies, but in the way I give my thoughts to the movie things do come out. I also give views on studios, directors, and actors, you can read or skip these parts if you don't want my personal views on something outside the movie itself. 

Older movies though contain spoilers, you've had time to watch these at home. 

    

    The Newest release from the spectacular A24Films is The Undertone. I wasn't even planning on seeing this movie in theaters until I got an invite from some friends, and with not only the reputation that this production company has, but the love I have had for some of their movie...Almost all of their movies, I was very thankful that I did. A24 has given me a fresh look on new movies, while alot of cinema lately for me has felt like a bunch of clones or remakes or a sequel that spanned over a decade, this studio has given me new life. Fresh ideas and new ways of doing it. No heavy gore or CGI, no gimmicks. Movies that take us back to a day where these artist had a passion for their craft. Instead of just pumping out and algorithm for a quick dollar. For those of y'all that do not know A24Films, Let me give you a quick rundown.

Ex-Machina(2015) - Deals with giving the Turing Test to a new AI, making you question what really defines us being Human.

The Witch (2016) - When a Puritan family settles New England in the 1630's they find evil might be as close as the woods that surround their farm 

Hereditary: (2018)- An evil presence comes to bother a grieving family, sometimes evil comes from outside, sometimes from within. 

Midsommer (2019) - A friend group goes to Sweden to a festival that happens only once every 90 years and realize, not everything is how it seems

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): Learning that the multiverse isn't what you thought it was and now you're the only one who can save it 

    This is a very short list and does not encompass whatsoever the genius that is A24Films. The list goes on to movies like Maxxxine, X, Pearl, and The Whale. Taking on a plethora of directors like Ari Aster, Timon C. West, and Lulu Wang, to some unexpected names like Jake Paltrow, James Franco, Bo Burnham, Chris Rock, Jessie Eisenberg, Jonah Hill and Kevin Smith

    So with no further ado, let get into The Undertone:

    We open to Evy (Nina Kiri), a woman taking care of her ailing mother on hospice. Evy seems to have moved into her Mother's house, we would assume, leaving behind her own house and her own life. There is no other family present, so Evy is left to this task in solitude. The only company she has are the nurses that come to check on her mother, and her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), her friend from another country, she talks to online as they host their weekly podcast on the occult. Together, they plumb the depths of ghost stories, unexplained phenomena, and the world that hides just out of view.

    While recording this weeks episode of the podcast Evy and Justin receive a very suspicious email, not only is the subject matter a mystery, so is whoever sent this email, even while listening to the nondescript audio messages contained within the suspense deepens until we see the dark truth of who...or what sent this email and for what reason. We find out when the movie come to it very fear inducing and abrupt ending, leaving to you believe and wonder, was no one listening at home safe. 

    First off I will say from beginning to end had me in such an emotional state, Evy taking care of her mom, showed me things people don't normally talk about, the Death of a parent, and not only the passing or talking to someone about it in the past tense, but the moments before. I have lost both my parents, the anticipation of death but the days that drag on, the answering the same questions to nurses, the look of annoyance when you get premature condolences and having to repeat yourself over and over when people ask how things are and you can't help but just say the same thing, until the ultimate passing of your loved one. All of these things were present in this film making it seem very genuine and real. 

    The audio in was mixed in such a way that made it feel more than spacial, it made it fell engaging. There were a few times I wanted to look over my shoulder and make sure something wasn't quietly breathing behind me, just waiting. Yes I decided to go see this movie, but it grabbed me took me to places, in an almost unwilling way. 

    The cinematography is so immersive it's ridiculous. Evy is the only character that is seen and heard, it really pulls you into the loneliness she is feeling, as the recording she is listening to go deeper and darker, you really get pulled into her sense of losing reality, and her decent into darkness, not just madness, but darkness. From Deadpans to show her point of view, to the shadows hiding behind her shoulder, or even the sound and atmosphere of this old house, everything was planned and executed so well the entire movie seemed so simple, like we were watching events unfold, instead of watching the vision of a director. 

    I highly recommend any A24 movie, but if this is an introduction to the studio I think you will be highly satisfied. I would rate this at 4.5 stars. The only thing keeping this from a 5 would be the abrupt ending. Placing this movie into my top 10 of all A24 movies, and top 100 to all overall movies I have seen in my life. 

    

    I do want to give some views on the Lead Role of Evy: 

Spoilers below

    As Evy, she is very believable, and really has you following every step down that rabbit hole in this movie. I had not seem much of her before, but very interested to see more of her in movies. Upon researching Nina Kiri I did notices something, she has an affinity for playing roles where expecting mothers or expectation on being a mother is present. 

                                        

Spoiler Alert Line

in this movie she is an expecting mother, and a demon is coming for her child

  

    She has also played in The Handmaids tale, Let Her Out, and Zoe's Having a Baby.                 

    That's 4 times she has been in roles, where woman's reproductive capabilities and capacity has been brought up, and wonder what her thoughts are on that. All in all you might be seeing more movie reviews with her in a lead role. As I do plan to look into her filmography soon.