Spoilers think the call is coming from inside the house.

The introduction from this film, done in earnest by one of the Fantasia organizers, mentioned a few people considered this one the scariest film in the festival. Good intentions, but it might have set the expectations a bit too high. To be fair, this is one scary film in some aspects. But the focus is not on what we see, but what we hear.

The Undertone (2025) is written and directed by Ian Tuason. Evy (Nina Kiri) co-hosts a podcast of all things creepy with her friend Justin (Kris Holden-Ried). Her mother’s (Michele Duquet) health is deteriorating and Evy is staying with her as she’s been warned these might be her final days. Trying to keep her mind off things, she tries to get some work done recording remotely. Justin has received some creepy recordings of a couple, Jessa (Keana Lyn Bastidas) and Mike (Jeff Yung). Mike started to record Jessa to show her that she speaks while being asleep.

This horror thriller depends almost exclusively on sound design. It is Keana Lyn Bastidas’ voice as Jessa that slowly devolves into something unhinged while Evy tries to remain her usual skeptic persona for the podcast. Although her mother is unresponsive, Evy starts noticing things out of place around the house. As she starts questioning whether or not she’s imagining things, the ambiance of the house starts to weight heavily on her. Meanwhile, the tapes are getting creepier and creepier.

Highly recommended with reservations. This one requires a participative audience willing to sit in silence while the sounds conspire with our imaginations to charge up the film. I do feel it lacks a sharper, more incisive resolution but perhaps I am asking too much. Worth a watch for the audience willing to get into it.

That will do for now.