Last year set an exceptionally high bar for cinematic horror. There wasn’t a single month that went by without the debut of at least one excellent new scary film. Because of all that success, I find it hard to imagine that 2026 will be able to match it… but there are definitely some titles that are already generating excitement early on the movie release calendar. One is Sam Raimi’s Send Help, which is set to arrive in theaters toward the end of this month – but after watching this first trailer for Ian Tuason’s undertone, it too has instantly landed on my most-anticipated list.
A Canadian feature that premiered last summer at the Fantasia International Film Festival before being picked up for distribution by A24, undertone doesn’t star any big names, and it’s Tuason’s feature debut as a writer/director, but it’s an upcoming horror movie that should now be on the radar of every genre fan, because this trailer absolutely rules. The imagery is dark and eerie, and the story is interesting, but what’s really selling this film is the aural experience, and I’m fascinated to see what it’s like over the reported 85-minute runtime.
Nina Kiri, best known for playing Alma on The Handmaid’s Tale, stars in the film as a paranormal podcast host named Evy – and she is front and center as the only principal character featured (everyone else is represented as off-screen voices). After moving to take care of her dying mother, she and her co-host are sent audio files said to feature a married couple being tormented by paranormal activity in their home, but listening to the recordings herself ends up having unintended, unexpected and dangerous consequences.
Simply watching this undertone trailer is a trip from a sound perspective, as it made me feel as though I was being enveloped in creepy noises, whispers, and the cheerful singing of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” – and that’s the simple result of my computer’s two-channel speakers. I can only imagine how terrifying/awesome/uncomfortable it will be to see the movie on the big screen surrounded by speakers. I can’t say that I am much familiar with the works of credited sound designers David Gertsman and Steph Copeland, but this movie definitely seems like it’s going to be a massive showcase for their skills.
Are you, like me, now utterly intrigued? If so, the best news of all that I have to offer here is that audiences won’t have to wait long for the movie’s arrival. As revealed at the end of this trailer, undertone will be playing in theaters starting on March 13. If the full thing hits like this brief preview does, I expect it to end up on plenty of “best horror of 2026” lists come December.
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