A24’s psychological horror film Undertone is officially making the jump to streaming next month after quietly becoming one of the strangest horror releases of the year.
Directed by Ian Tuason, the film follows a paranormal podcast host who returns to her childhood home to care for her dying mother. What begins as an emotional homecoming slowly turns into something far more disturbing after she starts receiving unsettling audio recordings connected to a possible haunting.
What separates Undertone from most modern horror movies is how heavily it relies on sound instead of visuals. Rather than constantly showing the threat, the film builds tension through whispers, distorted recordings, background noises, and long stretches of silence that force audiences to imagine what might be hiding just outside the frame.
That unusual approach helped the movie stand out during its theatrical run earlier this year. Horror fans online especially praised the film’s atmosphere and sound design, with many calling it one of the most immersive horror experiences of 2026.
The movie originally premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival before being picked up by A24, continuing the studio’s trend of backing smaller horror projects built around strong concepts instead of franchise formulas.
Undertone sounds like the kind of movie that could become even more effective at home. Watching it alone with headphones on probably feels exactly how this film was meant to be experienced.
