Who would not love the crunch of leaves as the protagonist walks in a forest? Horror sound design is a craft that has its essential filmmaking secrets. In horror, sound design is more than an enhancement- it is a carefully crafted language.
Films like Rabbit Trap (2025) also arouse acoustic fears as they capitalize on the audio-centric horror constituent, working wonders to create maximized fear for the viewers. Similarly, the Undertone trailer places sound design at the core of its storytelling to build a hypnotic and engrossing experience for the likely demonic voices heard in the trailer.
Plot details of Undertone (2026)
Evy (played by Nina Kiri) has recently moved into her ailing mother’s house to care for her. Evy runs a paranormal podcast and is sent 10 audio recordings of a pregnant couple one day.
The couple is experiencing paranormal activities, and Evy is forced to face her own inescapable fate when she realizes that the audio recording’s story might be her own.
Watch the trailer here that shows only Nina speaking on-camera:
Director’s vision for the film
Ian Tuason takes inspiration for the film from his own experience as a caregiver. He opened up that the film is a tale of how our own fears translate into real-life anxieties and guilt stemming from isolation. They can turn into “real horrors” that might not stop haunting us for the rest of our lives.
With “immersive sound design,” the director wanted to craft a horror film that would not only conjure up fear but also swamp the viewers with the unknown terrors. It is this very sound design mastery that uses layered voices, unsettling tones, and rattling breaths to create an overwhelming experience for the audience.
According to Joblo, the film’s producer, Cody Calahan, was all praise for Ian Tuason. He said Ian has a unique vision for the movie since it aims to,
“Break free from tradition to create a horror experience that’s as bold as it is unnerving. In an oversaturated market, The Undertone will punch through the noise with its raw, unfiltered approach to fear, proving that true horror comes from a director willing to open up personally and take full creative control.” [Source]
How does the Undertone trailer use the electric voice phenomenon as a central plot device?
Nowadays, horror films are relying more on sound design because this is how psychological fear is amplified. Building tension and creating an immersive atmosphere only with visuals is not possible. Top-tier sound design features are needed to maximize the impact.
Sound is inarguably one of the most critical components in a film. Particularly in a horror film, the reliance is explicitly evident since it manipulates human psychology in several key ways:
Our hearing mechanisms are directly related to the brain’s fear processing center called the amygdala. We instantly react to screams or pensive music sounds in the movies that instantly change our moods and feelings. Instantaneously, our primal reactions appear to enhance our survival instincts even before our brain can consciously process them.
The upcoming horror film, Undertone, uses this very instrumentality and has top-tier sound design with ambient noises. These sounds signify some unseen entity, exactly what the trailer shows to keep the audience in a constant state of anxiety.
Strategic silence is as powerful as noise. Audiences are invited to fill the void with their imagination in completely silent scenes, instigating their worst fears and ensuing jump scares more effectively. With modern sound techniques, the subsequent sounds make the entire scene more impactful in horror films for an incredibly immersive and disorienting experience.
In the past, numerous horror films have used sonically strong tactics for enhanced storytelling that tap into our fears with slow-burning atmospheric tensions. After the release of Undertone’s trailer, viewers have been comparing it to White Noise (2005), Pulse (2001), and Session 9 (2001). Sound is an active force for driving the narrative forward. It invites the viewers to listen carefully while every hair on their body and every brain cell tells them otherwise.
When is Undertone (2026) releasing?
A24 has set a wide theatrical release for Undertone on March 13, 2026.
Genre: Horror
Cast: Nine Kiri, Kris Holden-Ried, Michele Duquet, Keana Lyn, Jeff Yung
Director: Ian Tuason
Writer: Ian Tuason
Producers: Cody Calahan, Dan Slater
Release date: March 13, 2026
Movie runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
Did the unsettling voices in the Undertone trailer linger with you long after it ended? Let us know in the comments.
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
She brings a personal, insightful approach to every story—whether she’s analyzing the emotional layers of a film or giving her take on trending celebrity headlines. Madiha’s writing style is known for being authentic, well-researched, and reader-focused.
When she’s not writing, she’s fully immersed in the world of entertainment—watching new releases, revisiting classics, exploring behind-the-scenes content, or reading books that fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives her work and helps her stay connected to what matters most in the industry.
Madiha believes great stories start conversations, challenge perspectives, and stay with us long after the credits roll. Through her writing, she continues to share those stories with clarity, depth, and heart.
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