There are many ways to look at horror and why it is arguably one of the most successful genres when it comes to fiction, regardless of the medium you are looking at it through. Whether a visual medium like film or television, or in the written form, there have been some incredibly influential works constructed that set out to terrify and unsettle. There are some artists who are making use of emerging technologies to explore new means of telling these stories, and the rise in popularity of podcasts, where just about anyone with the money for a cheap microphone and the right amount of time can stake a claim in what is becoming one of the most dominant forms of entertainment, has made it a viable area for exploration, both commercially and artistically. This is where we find Ian Tuason’s interests settling, since it is the foundation for Undertone, his brilliant directorial debut in which he leaps into the world of podcasting in an effort to examine how even such a seemingly innocuous (but still very successful) medium can be reworked to become the starting point for unique, harrowing storytelling in its own right. The story revolves around Evy, a young woman who has achieved a small but dedicated cult following as a result of the podcast she co-hosts with Justin, her deeply religious friend. They explore the world of horror, focusing specifically on supposedly true occurrences. For Evy, this is just some fun, designed to capitalise on a market that always craves new ways to feel fear, whereas Justin is firmly a believer, trying consistently to convince Evy that there is some truth to all of these stories. When an email arrives in their inbox from a married couple, with several audio attachments to accompany the cryptic text, they decide to use this as the basis for a new investigation on their podcast. However, it soon becomes clear that something far more sinister is afoot, and Evy soon begins to see that there is much more to this story than she (or anyone) could’ve ever expected. As disquieting and unsettling in practice as it is in theory, driven by a deep originality and the wholehearted desire to do something new, Undertone is quite an achievement, and one of the best horror films in recent years.

In addition to being two of the most popular genres in entertainment, there’s a quality shared by both comedy and horror – they’re both defined by their ability to make the viewer experience a very specific reaction. Everyone who writes about either of the genres has their own set of criteria or overall rubrics which they use to assess the success of a particular work, and usually has their own theories about what precisely elicits these reactions in the audience. I have believed that it isn’t a case of what we see that scares us, but rather what we don’t see, but start to sense lurking in the shadows. The fear of the unknown and the fact that danger could be lurking around every corner is the foundation of horror as a whole, and Undertone is a perfect example of this principle in practice, since it looks primarily at a character who experiences the terror that comes with not actually knowing what is lingering just out of view. The director chooses a very simple premise and uses it as the starting point for this unsettling examination of a young woman spiralling into madness after coming into contact with ideas that she begins to wish she had never heard. A very wise teacher, who was vehemently against anything even vaguely supernatural, made it a point to say she avoids even considering looking into these things, solely because the moment you open your mind to these ideas, you allow yourself to become consumed by them, since all these insidious forces need to take over is the smallest, most inconsequential gap, and in an era defined by curiosity, this theory (as ludicrous and closed-minded as it may sound) does begin to seem somewhat more relevant. It is from this that Tuason manages to craft a film that is both unsettling and fascinating, touching on themes that go beyond the surface-level premise of a demonic possession occuring via proxy, looking at ideas like motherhood (his impetus for the story comes from his experiences caring for his parents in the final stages of their terminal illness), identity and how challenging it can be to navigate a world where we are more detached from reality than ever – and the results are fascinating, if not outright horrifying.

The concept behind Undertone is certainly strong enough to make for a solid film, but what makes it truly memorable – and indeed deeply captivating – is the execution of these ideas. Tuason is not satisfied to just rely on a good story, but rather sets out to create something that lingers with the audience. If there has ever been a film that proves the adage that “less is more” when it comes to horror, and that some of the best entries into the genre are the most simple and unfurnished, this is a strong candidate. The film is set in a single location, a seemingly ordinary suburban home that is not unlike any other we’re likely to find, and the decision to have the film take place here, rather than venturing out of this house, gives it a sense of claustrophobia and despair that is easy to evoke and impossible to mimic. This is a very violent film, but surprisingly, none of this takes place visually – it is all done through implication and atmosphere for the most part, as well as through sound. The majority of Undertone is built around the auditory stimulus, which is not the first instance of sound being the primary propellant for a horror film, but it’s certainly one of the strongest examples of it in practice, especially since at no point does this feel like a mere novelty, but rather a fully-formed artistic statement in both style and substance. There’s something extremely disquieting about a film in which unhinged terror is occuring, but rather than being able to see it (and in the process determine if it is real or not, in the context of what the protagonist is experiencing, not being able to tell if she’s listening to the product of an elaborate practical joke or actually the emergence of some otherworldly entity contained in these recordings) that makes the film so incredibly effective. The idea of malicious, supernatural entities being distributed through the internet is a wacky concept in theory, but it is exceptionally effective and only goes to underline just how incredibly unique and daring this film was, since there’s always something to draw us in, despite the frank simplicity of the premise, proving that an effective horror film just needs a good idea and sincere dedication to a very compelling premise.

I’ve always been in awe of works in which only a single actor appears, since it takes a lot of effort to carry a story almost entirely on your own, especially when handling some intimidating themes, as the ones present in this film. In the case of Undertone, we find ourselves in a peculiar position – there are technically only two actors physically present in the film, namely Nina Kira as Evy, and Michèle Duquet as her comatose mother, but considering the latter is essentially in a catatonic state throughout the film (except for a few brief moments where she becomes the lingering embodiment of danger – I am personally trying not to fixate on the idea of someone’s dying mother being the vessel for supernatural evil, since that brushes against a topic that many of us would feel is morally taboo, even if it does have a brilliance that cannot be understated), its only the former that really carries the film. There are other characters, such as Justin, portrayed by the incredibly talented Adam DiMarco, who does so much without ever physically appearing on screen, his voice alone being the source of an astonishing performance, which is not surprising (considering the volume of incredible vocal performances we encounter every year), but still very impressive, especially when it comes to creating some memorable from this simple premise. Kiri carries the film exceptionally well – there’s something so wonderfully disquieting about her performance, one that extends far beyond the confines of merely being a scream queen, bringing layers to this archetype in an absolutely astonishing way, even at its most simplistic. It’s not an easy feat to carry this film almost entirely on your own, but she achieves this, working closely with the director to curate a performance that intertwines with the dense atmosphere and harrowing nature of the narrative to create something engaging and thrilling, and most importantly, very simple, which is where the most impact is made by this film.

Undertone feels like the emergence of an extraordinary new talent in horror filmmaking, the kind that is unique and ambitious enough to signal Tuason’s incredible skill, but also not so distinct that everything he is set to do from this point onward will be assessed according to this film, which is a fantastic work on its own, but one that also indicates the start of a promising career rather than its peak, which seems to be the trend with many emergent wunderkinder in the genre. This film is the kind that benefits most from the viewer going in with as little prior knowledge as possible – but even then, no description can actually capture the many nuances of terror that enshroud this film, which is not some implication that its too utterly brilliant to put into words, but rather that it represents a new frontier for horror filmmaking, the kind that we have not fully been able to explore since these stories have not been told as frequently over the years, proving that there are some areas in which we can still find original ideas. It’s not a film that draws our attention immediately, since it is an understandably difficult premise to sell, since the idea of a pair of podcasters being terrorised by otherworldly spirits does seem peculiar (if not outright absurd), but this only goes to show how important execution is, since no one could have anticipated such a silly premise actually becoming the foundation for an impactful, undeniably terrifying work. It doesn’t rely on jumpscares or gore (the two areas that far too many horror films tend to use as their foundations), and instead focuses on atmosphere, showing that restraint is a powerful artistic tool, especially when it comes to capturing the smallest and most intricate nuances that drive this kind of story. Undertone is a tremendous, original work that takes a straightforward premise and develops it into something much more enthralling and unique than any of us may have been anticipating, which only underlines its brilliance and positions the director as someone undeniably worth watching.