Sound Horror: New Film Relies on Eerie Audio

The upcoming A24 horror film, 'Undertone,' is set to deliver scares primarily through its innovative sound design. Director Ian Tuason, inspired by theories of hidden messages in music, crafted a narrative that relies on auditory terror over visual frights. The film's premise centers on Evy, a podcaster investigating unsettling voice memos that contain backwards children's songs with disturbing reversed lyrics.

Tuason, who directed the film in his own childhood home, aimed to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere. He incorporated his personal experiences of caretaking to imbue the protagonist's journey with a sense of dread and isolation. The film uses Dolby Atmos technology to immerse the audience in its dual audio worlds: the unsettling environment of the home and the podcast's investigation.

The recordings in 'Undertone' feature a couple, Abby and Mike, discovering terrifying messages. These include "Lick the blood off" from "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and "Mike kill all" from "London Bridges," both audible when played in reverse. The film's soundscape is designed to disorient viewers, mirroring Evy's own descent into a terrifying reality where the boundaries between the recordings and her life begin to dissolve.