A24’s ‘Undertone’ Trailer Reveals “The Scariest Movie You’ll Ever Hear”

A24 is out to scare audiences with another unique horror concept. The studio behind bold thrillers that made you question god in Heretic and cheer for a dog protagonist as the star in the canine-centric Good Boy is back with another distinct way to creep audiences out with a film that dabbles in audio terror. After making waves at festivals, undertone is finally heading to theaters in March, with a new trailer that highlights the chilling tale and the film’s rave early reviews.

Ian Tuason wrote and directed undertone, and the project’s early buzz led to his being hired to reboot the Paranormal Activity franchise. Nina Kiri from The Handmaid’s Tale stars as Evy, who is the driving force of the film, as most of the other cast only lend their voices. Kiri stars alongside Adam DiMarco and Michele Duquet. The plot is also deceptively simple, yet poised for terrifying results, as it follows:

“The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.”

It has been stated that Evy receives 10 audio files that present a journey that isn’t for the faint of heart. Thanks to the popularity of podcasts, the movie makes for a perfect avenue to explore the medium in the horror genre, with A24’s recent outing looking to be a winning formula. The latest trailer for undertone, shared on YouTube by A24, highlights the film’s impeccable reviews, including Collider noting that it’s “The scariest movie you’ll ever hear.” Audiences won’t be able to see the film until March 13, but early buzz suggests there is plenty to be excited about.

Early Reviews for ‘undertone’ Are Fantastic!

Thanks to undertone’s early festival debut, the movie has garnered significant word-of-mouth from critics. The horror movie currently holds an 87% Fresh score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing, which could fluctuate when the film is released, but it paints the film in a positive light within a dark genre. Praise has been heaped upon Tuason’s direction, with many critics pointing out the distinct use of sound to both terrify and lay suggestive groundwork. Kiri’s performance has also been hailed as strong, with her front-and-center presence throughout. However, it’s the reviews that indicate how terrifying the movie is that should excite genre fans.

MovieWeb‘s own Zachary Lee noted in undertone‘s review that the film is “A slow-burning mystery that eventually crescendos into a nightmarish audio experience from Hell.” Lee continued:

“It’s a film that turns your creativity and imagination against you; one of those rare horror films that you don’t passively watch but actively experience. Tuason and his crew know that whatever you can imagine is probably scarier than anything that’s explicitly put on screen. All he has to do is provide the catalyst for the viewer to muse on something unsettling — which undertone has in spades — prompting you with its chilling use of negative space, creeping zooms, and immersive sound design, which will be ringing in your ears long after its riotous final setpiece, and let your mind do the rest.”

While there are still a few weeks before the movie hits theaters, horror fans look to have another exciting genre entry to add to their 2026 calendar. The year has already given fans 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and promised the return of Faces of Death, with an original, audio-based horror film set to shake up the landscape. At the very least, undertone is set to be one of the most unique horror films of the year.