Forget jump scares. Forget gore. A24’s Undertone is doing something far more unsettling — it’s weaponizing sound itself to break you down. Already being called the scariest film since Paranormal Activity, here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters behind this haunting new horror.
Table of Contents
Undertone (2026) — Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Ian Tuason (feature debut) |
| Distributor | A24 (USA), VVS Films (Canada) |
| Release Date | March 13, 2026 |
| Runtime | 1h 34m |
| Rating | R |
| Festival Premiere | Fantasia International Film Festival, July 27, 2025 |
| A24 Acquisition | Seven-figure deal, August 2025 |
| Award | Gold Audience Award — Fantasia (Canadian Films) |
Undertone Cast & Characters: Who Plays Who?
Evy and her mother are the only characters shown on-screen — all other characters are heard purely as off-screen voices, conveying the film’s horror entirely through its sound design. Rotten Tomatoes It’s a bold, genius creative choice that makes the film uniquely terrifying.
On-Screen Characters:
- Nina Kiri as Evy Babic — The central protagonist and host of a paranormal podcast. A skeptic who moves home to care for her dying mother, she is one of only two characters physically shown on-screen. IMDb
- Michèle Duquet as Mama — Evy’s terminally ill, unresponsive mother whose presence in the home provides much of the film’s physical tension. IMDb
Voice-Only Characters:
- Adam DiMarco as Justin — Evy’s podcast co-host and the “believer” of the duo.
- Keana Lyn Bastidas as Jessa — A woman whose unsettling audio recordings of paranormal activity drive the entire plot. IMDb
- Jeff Yung as Mike — Jessa’s husband, heard in the recordings.
- Ari Millen as Dr. Ram and Ryan Turner as Darren round out the voice cast.
What Makes Undertone Unlike Any Horror Film You’ve Seen
Director Ian Tuason actually shot the film in his parents’ house — a detail that adds a whole other layer of unsettling context. The Movie Database Production took place in Rexdale, Toronto in February 2025, and the film won the gold Audience Award at Fantasia before A24 acquired global rights in a seven-figure deal. IMDb
Critics have praised it as an immersive, haunting horror outing that excels through spectacular sound design, careful narrative construction, and a strong lead performance from Nina Kiri.
For a deeper look at the film’s background, visit the Undertone Wikipedia page.
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FAQs
Q: Who is the lead actress in A24’s Undertone and what is her character?
Nina Kiri leads the film as Evy Babic, a paranormal podcast host caring for her dying mother who slowly descends into fear and paranoia after receiving terrifying audio recordings.
Q: Why are most characters in Undertone never shown on screen?
Director Ian Tuason deliberately restricts the film to voice-only performances for all characters except Evy and her mother, making the horror entirely sound-driven and deeply psychological.
