Director: Ian Tuason
Writer: Ian Tuason
Stars: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet
Synopsis: The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
Feeling goosebumps after hearing a weird noise in your house is a normal thing. It can be a small “eeeeek” from the floor or even the noise that the air conditioner makes when it turns on. If you’re hearing talking inside your house and you don’t have a tv, music, or a podcast on then I suggest that you make a few calls and go stay at a family member’s house for a little bit. The sounds in the new indie horror undertone has given audiences the willies and it damn sure will give older audience members the jitters. Focusing on the sounds in the film adds a new level of terror that a lot of horror movies don’t take advantage of. Director Ian Tuason has built a home that doesn’t have a fleshed out foundation but the amenities are worth sticking around for to enjoy.
The story follows Evy (Nina Kiri) as a young horror/true crime podcast host. Aside from having a very successful podcast she’s the only person in her immediate family that can take care of her dying mother. This responsibility is taking a toll on her even though she won’t admit it to her co-host/friend, Justin (Adam DiMarco), and boyfriend, Darren. Evy has a routine that she follows as she takes care of her mom and it’s consistent until her and Justin start covering a cryptic story on their show. The audio that they receive via email is weird, but not weird enough to keep them from doing their job. The sounds that come from the audio are downright painstaking. As the movie continues, the duo listens to each audio tape. We’re given a bonkers look into Evy, a character that clearly sees that evil is afoot but she’s disregarding it and acting like things aren’t what they appear to be or sound like.
One of the bright spots for me in this movie was the sound design. Filmmakers don’t usually discuss a lot about the sounds in their movies unless it’s a major part of it. Tuason and his crew went into this movie thinking that the sounds would be a thing to reel in audiences and ultimately it is. As a podcaster I can say that recording audio can be a difficult thing if your internet connection has a lag, mics can pick up stuff that alters the sound, and more. Seeing our lead actress react to the sounds in the headphones and even the sounds without headphones is something that I am all too familiar with. There’s a camera technique that they create which shows the camera angles slanted to look like it was turning in the manner of a clock. The shots of the clock in Evy’s living room are so entrancing and the sounds of it are impressive.
There’s a religious subplot with Evy’s dying mother that manages to hold on towards the end of the movie. It involves children and nursery rhymes that we’ve all heard during childhood. There’s an added layer to this subplot that has to do with children dying and/or being sacrificed. That’s a very common thing to be featured in movies with demons and the thing that turned me off was that I’ve seen it in a lot of other things. The lack of characters in the movie is another thing that I didn’t like either. undertone’s editing, sound design and the camera work are really the crown jewel of this film. On a small budget, Tuason assembled a great crew and they all worked together to really make this something that has a lot of value. If he’s already making films like this then I think that he should be a director to really pay attention to in the coming years.
