For months, the hype train for Undertone has been roaring down the tracks, fueled by a chorus of critics and viewers showering it with unconditional praise. Now that it’s finally landed on Max, I figured it was time to punch my ticket.
Look, I know the horror fandom is intense, and I’m fully prepared for a pitchfork-wielding mob to assemble in my comments. But everyone is entitled to their opinion—including me. So, without further ado, let’s talk about why Undertone left me disappointed.
The Good, The Bad, and The Boring
Before I completely tear into it, let’s be fair: the cast did a fine job, including leading lady Nina Kiri. My issues don’t lie with the performances. My dismay began with the cinematography.
The movie is absolutely obsessed with wide, panning shots. Over and over again, I found myself squinting at the screen, desperately trying to spot a ghost, a monster, or anything lurking in the shadows. Spoiler alert: there was nothing there. I get that the director wanted to build tension and keep us on the edge of our seats, but using the same cheap tease repeatedly isn’t tense—it’s just obnoxious.
Then we have the centerpiece of the film: mysterious audio clips of a couple sleepwalking and sleeptalking, while the main character… sits at a table listening to them. Again, I know this was supposed to be tantalizing and terrifying, but mostly I just felt like I was failing a hearing test. I spent half the movie straining to understand muffled dialogue.
The Real Horror
To the film and writer-director Ian Tuason’s credit, there was one aspect that genuinely got under my skin. The sequences feature the protagonist watching her mother in bed, waiting for her to pass away, listening to the “death rattle.”
Having lived through this nightmare twice myself—first with my grandmother, and then sitting by my father’s bedside—this struck a deeply painful chord. The agonizing panic of sitting there for days, holding your breath, wondering if their last breath was truly their last, or if their chest will rise just one more time… that is a heartbreaking, terrifying reality. It was the most terrifying moments of true horror in the entire film.
On a lighter note, I also appreciated the director shining a light on just how inherently creepy children’s songs are. Take “Ring Around the Rosies,” for example, which is about the bubonic plague, which was a nice, macabre touch.
The Letdown
But let’s get to what actually upset me: the ending. After ninety minutes of agonizing buildup, we reach the climax. And instead of actually seeing the payoff, the movie forces us to stare at a completely black screen.
The entire film is the cinematic equivalent of a severe case of blue balls. It’s all tease, all anticipation, and absolutely zero climax. I already hear the film-bro defense brigade warming up: “But Kelli, you don’t get it! Your imagination is more terrifying than anything that can be put on screen! The movie is about audio!
I invested my time, and my reward was a blank television screen. I respect a director who tries to do something different, but buying into this hype hook, line, and sinker, only to walk away shaking my head, was a letdown.
Praise
While yes, I’m aware I have spent most of this review explaining what I found troublesome about the film, writer-director Tuason also deserves some praise. While I am not the film’s biggest fan, I do understand that Tuason thought outside of the box to deliver a story we haven’t seen over and over. He took a different approach. While the end left me a bit disappointed, he took a risk that most directors never would have. He gave us something different, and for that, he has my respect. I understand what he was trying to accomplish. And I fully get why people are praising the film. It just didn’t click for me, and that’s okay. I’m an extremely visual person.
I’m not trying to discourage you from watching Undertone; I’m sharing an opinion. If the ending had been shown, this review would have likely been different. But I do get it. Many people are raving about it. And that’s great. I truly hope that you love it.
Stream Undertone now on HBO Max. Opinions are a dime a dozen, so form your own.
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