undertone
A24 | Release Date: March 13, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
12
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenMar 17, 2026
Weaponising the cinema’s Dolby Atmos into a delivery mechanism for frights is a clever ploy that Undertone never maximises. Read full review
60
VarietySiddhant AdlakhaJan 26, 2026
Although it eventually leans into traditional genre hallmarks, its introductory musings are novel, taking the form of a one-woman performance showcase that makes ingenious use of visual and auditory negative space. Read full review
58
The PlaylistMarshall ShafferMar 13, 2026
For a film so fixated on provoking fear and dread through the medium of audio, it’s naturally strongest when it does not bother to stimulate the eyes at all. Read full review
58
IndieWireChristian ZilkoJan 26, 2026
Unfortunately, Undertone is far more interesting as a phenomenon than an actual movie. Tuason and company deserve to be commended for telling a narrative film on such a small scale, but the finished product fails to deliver a conclusion that’s scary enough to justify its lethargic, slow-burn format. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithMar 13, 2026
The movie generates a pleasing fog of suspense as it makes the audience pay attention to each new audio cue. Seeing the movie in a hushed theater is ideal; viewing it at home would almost certainly bring in distractions that would dilute the experience. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesAmy NicholsonMar 12, 2026
The film is so committed to its rigors — the two-person cast, the glacial camera pivots, the moody lighting — that it teeters on the line of becoming monotonous. Read full review
50
Screen RantGregory NussenMar 10, 2026
Perhaps it's fitting that a horror film set around a podcast flits in and out of being engaging, since that's more or less the experience of listening to one, but it doesn't exactly make for a cohesive viewing experience. Read full review
50
IGNTom JorgensenMar 10, 2026
Effectively moody, but disjointed and over-reliant on played-out horror audio gags, Undertone sounds better in concept than it plays on screen. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterRichard LawsonJan 26, 2026
As answers to the film’s big questions begin arriving in slapdash fashion, one loses patience for Tuason’s evasive, cluttered storytelling. Read full review
40
Radio TimesTerry StauntonApr 17, 2026
In all fairness, Tuason ups the ante in the last reel, the pedestrian tease of what went before giving way to more palpably spooky shenanigans, but it’s a ludicrously long wait for the yarn to step up a gear that runs the risk of the audience having already given up on the whole affair. Read full review
40
Little White LiesHannah StrongApr 10, 2026
It’s a shame the film that exists around this technical experiment oscillates between ludicrous and tedious, undermining any scares that might be generated through the wonder of creative foley and effective mixing. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeJan 29, 2026
There’s a swirl of creepy noises in A24’s new hyped-up horror Undertone – screaming, gargling, singing, banging – but nothing is quite loud enough to drown out the swirl of films it’s cribbing from. Read full review
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