[Fantasia 2025] FILM REVIEW: The Undertone

The Undertone - Fantasia World Premiere Review

Director: Ian Tuason

Starring: Nina Kiri, Michelle Duquet, Kris Holden Ried, Jeff Yung, Keana Lyn Bastidas

Written by: Ian Tuason

Produced by: Cody Calahan, Dan Slater

Cinematography by: Graham Beasley

Original Score by: Shanika Maris

Synopsis:

A podcast host covering spooky content moves in to care for her dying mother. When sent recordings of a pregnant couple's paranormal encounters, she discovers their story parallels hers, each tape pushing her toward madness.

Thoughts:

This might be one of the creepiest slow burn horror films I've seen in a long time. It's very slow but deftly terrifying. I could barely look at the screen during the final sequence.

Writer/Director Ian Tauson is a renowned science fiction author who has delivered something pretty incredible for his first feature film. It is agonisingly tense during it's purposeful build up and Tauson uses repetitive scenes to create a foreboding atmosphere that looks and feels natural but somehow isn't. It's so eerie and uncomfortable at times.

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Nina Kiri stars a Evy, the co-host of a spooky podcast called, you've guessed it, The Undertone Podcast, that investigates creepy happenings suffered by real people. Evy is the skeptical one while her co-host Justin is a devoted believer. They play characters while they're recording of course but these characters are an extension of their real personas. The podcast isn't just a hobby for Evy, it's also a much needed distraction from her real life. Her mum is dying and Evy is her carer, having to wash her and prepare food for her daily, basically waiting for her to pass away.

For their latest episode Justin has been anonymously sent a number of audio files featuring a couple, Mike and Jessa, who are expecting their first child. On each file something creepy happens, with the supernatural elements getting increasingly terrifying and upsetting for Evy to listen to.

Much of the horror in the film exists because of the sound design, which is super intense. I'd recommend watching the film through headphones if you can. I loved the inclusion of folklore. There's a demon named Abyzou who is essentially jealous of mums-to-be so it uses its powers of possession to enter people's lives and destroy them. This is handled really well and is pretty subtle for the most part. And there's an awful lot of religious iconography in the film too, particulary in Evy's mother's bedroom. I definitely saw a painting of The Last Supper in the background and various references to the Virgin Mary.

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Nina Kiri is fantasic in that she has to carry the entire film herself. Her mother is bed bound and doesn't speak and her co-host is just a voice that we constantly hear through the speakers while they are recording. Nina has to draw the viewers in without making the film too boring and she also has to shift gears during the last act and especially during those final scenes.

A lot of the film's runtime is filled with dialogue between Nina and Justin, which some people might find a tad boring, however this laborious build up really does help to heighten the suspense and it just made my curiosity go into overdrive. A huge shout-out to cinematographer Graham Beasley and sound designer David Gertsman. I have to say I was never bored because the camera work and sound (and ghostly silence) kept me on edge and Nina Kiri is a joy to watch.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'The Undertone' received its World Premiere at Fantasia '25 on Juy 27th