"The first thing you notice about undertone is how quiet it is; not just in its audio mix, but in how it's shot - primarily steady wide shots that slowly pan across empty rooms, allowing your eyes to frantically scan for something amiss. It's an understated form of filmmaking that allows for the movie's scares to hit all that much harder."
"The central conceit - and great strength - of undertone is that Evy and her ailing mother are the only people who appear onscreen throughout the film. Evy moved into her mother's house to take care of her during her terminal illness, and essentially spends her time housebound waiting for her mother to pass."
"Her podcast, which Evy records at 3 a.m. to accommodate Justin's U.K. schedule, remains her only source of comfort. All of these things, along with an absent boyfriend who calls occasionally to lure Evy out of the house, compound into the perfect cocktail of stressors for Evy to become the next victim of the demonic curse."
Undertone follows Evy, a skeptic on a paranormal podcast, who receives mysterious audio recordings from an anonymous source featuring a couple experiencing disturbing nighttime phenomena. The recordings appear to document a supernatural curse that begins influencing Evy's life in increasingly threatening ways. Evy lives with her terminally ill mother and records her podcast at 3 a.m., creating isolation and vulnerability. The film's strength lies in its minimalist approach, featuring only Evy and her mother onscreen throughout. The quiet cinematography with steady wide shots and slow pans creates tension, allowing scares to impact viewers profoundly. As the recordings continue, the sinister elements escalate, transforming Evy from skeptic to potential victim of the demonic curse.
Read at Inverse
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