Undertone and the Great Resurgence of Canadian Horror (Light Spoilers!)

Undertone is marketed as “the scariest movie you’ve ever heard,” and it absolutely lives up to its tagline. The film follows Evy (Nina Kiri, The Handmaid’s Tale), a paranormal podcaster who has recently moved back in with her sick mother after the death of her father. While caring for her mum, Evy and her co-host Justin (Adam DiMarco) record an episode for their podcast after an anonymous listener submits ten mysterious audio files by email, which pull the podcasters deeper into a twisted narrative that blurs the line between listener and subject, and leaves you wondering the age old horror question: is the call/audio coming from inside the house?

Kiri’s performance is mesmerizing, grounding the film emotionally in the grief of her father’s passing and her care for her ever-ailing mother, as the home around her descends into terror. Tuason’s slow, deliberate camera pans build a creeping dread, while Mercedes Coyle’s production design transforms an otherwise cozy family home into an oppressive and claustrophobic environment ripe for well-earned scares. 

Perhaps most excitingly, Undertone arrives at a moment when Canadian horror feels not only revitalized but dominant in the global film market. With recent horror hits like Seeds (2024), Keeper (2024), Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023), and Skinamarink (2023), there’s no doubt that the Great White North is paving some of the most exciting and inspired films in the genre as of late.

With bold, formally inventive indie horror making waves internationally, Undertone stands as further proof that Canadian filmmakers are at the forefront of the genre’s exciting resurgence on a global scale. And with this year’s Oscars embracing the horror genre more than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, it’s exciting to imagine what kinds of stories will emerge in the wake of 2025’s critical and commercial success.

Following its world premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival, Undertone continued its momentum at Sundance, where critics quickly singled it out as one of the year’s standout horror films. It was soon acquired by A24 and released across North America on March 13, already making a significant impact at the box office, earning approximately $9.3 million against a reported $500,000 budget. The film opens in the UK on April 10.

While Undertone fits comfortably within the A24 horror lineage (and even draws some inspiration from Ari Aster’s Hereditary [2018]), Tuason’s voice feels distinctly his own. It’s no surprise, then, that he has been tapped to helm the next chapter in the Paranormal Activity franchise. The upcoming reboot is being developed with heavyweight horror producers attached, including original creator Oren Peli alongside Jason Blum and James Wan.

Watching Undertone, it immediately becomes clear why Tuason is such a compelling choice to take on the Paranormal Activity reboot. His command of tension, pacing, sound design, and camera work feels perfectly suited to a franchise built as much on what we hear— or the unnerving stretches of silence— as what we see. 

Having recently reviewed the West End production of Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage for Obscurae, I’m especially curious to see how this new film will evolve the franchise: will it incorporate the striking visual illusions achieved on stage, or lean more heavily into the sound-driven, psychological tension that defines Undertone?

With pre-production underway and a May 2027 release on the horizon, Tuason appears poised to usher Paranormal Activity into a compelling new era— one I’m eager to tune in for.