Posted in: A24, Movies | Tagged: a24, horror, Undertone

The Star of A24's Undertone Says She Was Excited to Dive into the Role

The star of the new A24 audio-centric horror film, Undertone, discusses her immersive approach to building the lead character.

A24's new horror flick Undertone is now in theaters, and the early reaction has left many divided. On one hand, plenty of viewers have come out impressed and rattled, while others have walked away a little underwhelmed by how far the story ultimately goes with its ideas. Either way, the hook is pretty easy to explain. Undertone essentially builds a horror experience around audio, using recordings, playback, and the way sound can make a space feel occupied, even when the frame looks empty. It also plays like a haunted house story tuned for a podcast era, where the scariest part is often what you think you hear.

That emphasis on listening also shaped how Nina Kiri approached her lead role as Evy, who anchors most of the film on screen.

Undertone Star on the Importance of Digging into Her Character

In an interview with Screen Rant, Kiri said that early on, she "was worried about technical things." She then went on to elaborate, "But then once I started prepping, and I was talking to [the director] a lot about who Evy is as a character, and where she's coming from, why she does what she does. It just became exciting and fun. And I think because there were so little people on set, so little amount of actors, not a lot of crew, there was this feeling like the burden was shared by everyone, not just on me."

Plot-wise, the film centers on the host of a popular paranormal podcast who becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way. The film expands on that premise by placing Evy in a single location as she cares for her dying, comatose mother while working overnight with a remote co-host and trying to decode unnerving audio files that start to get under her skin. Alongside Kiri, the cast includes Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, and Jeff Yung.

The reception so far matches the film's unusual approach. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists a 75% critics score and a 52% verified audience score, which captures both the respect for its craft and the frustration from viewers who wanted a more traditional payoff. Still, critics have consistently highlighted the sound design and the way the movie weaponizes negative space, even when they disagree on whether the back half stays as disciplined as the setup.

Undertone arrived in theaters on March 13, 2026. And for those of you who watched it already, what was your take on the horror film?

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