'Undertone' Is Already The Scariest Horror Movie Of 2026 - Here's Why

We're only three months in, but horror fans might already have their first real contender for the scariest movie of 2026. Undertone, the new A24 horror film from director Ian Tuason, has been generating the kind of buzz genre movies rarely get so quickly. And judging by the first wave of reviews, the movie is genuinely unnerving.

The story centers on Evy (Nina Kiri), a paranormal podcast host who begins receiving strange and disturbing audio recordings while she's staying home to care for her dying mother (Michèle Duquet). At first, the recordings feel like eerie material that would be perfect for her show. But the deeper Evy digs into them, the more it begins to feel like something is reaching back through the recordings.

That premise allows the movie to lean heavily on atmosphere rather than the usual horror tropes, like blood and gore. Instead, a lot of the tension comes from what Evy hears through her headphones, speakers, and tapes rather than what the audience can clearly see. It's a simple idea, and early reviews say the execution makes it extremely effective.

What Makes 'Undertone' So Unique?

Part of what makes Undertone different is how stripped-down it is. The story is mostly set inside one house and focuses just on Evy and the disturbing recordings tied to her investigation. There aren't any elaborate set pieces or massive supernatural spectacles. Evy analyzes the strange noises and tries to piece together what the sounds actually mean.

As viewers, we're essentially experiencing those discoveries alongside her, which creates a very unique kind of horror experience. Critics have also pointed out how carefully the movie frames its spaces. The camera often lingers on empty hallways, dim staircases, or doorways that feel just slightly too dark. Sometimes nothing happens at all, which is a very intentional creative decision.

The element of uncertainty between what we hear and what we see is where the movie gets its power. And since podcasts about the paranormal and true crime have exploded over the past decade, Undertone plays directly into the culture of people listening to eerie stories alone late at night. When horror connects to something familiar, it tends to become more unsettling than usual.

'Undertone' Reviews Emphasize The Scariness

RogerEbert.com explains how the film basically traps viewers in Evy's perspective through careful framing and unnerving sound design, creating an experience where the audience feels locked into the same uneasy environment as the character. Rather than relying on jump scares, the movie creates its terror through the constant suggestion that something might be lurking just outside the frame.

That approach seems to be what's resonating most with viewers. A review from Vulture points out that the movie essentially weaponizes its audio by building its scares around the eerie recordings. The distorted sounds make viewers feel like they're listening to something they probably shouldn't. Undertone also doesn't constantly explain what's happening or try to neatly connect every thread of its story.

The film's focus on sound is a clever approach, but it also feels a little gimmicky. Horror fans have seen something similar happen before. When The Blair Witch Project hit theaters in 1999, the film became a massive talking point largely because the found-footage style made it seem incredibly real to audiences, and the idea quickly snowballed into a phenomenon.

That doesn't necessarily mean the movie was the scariest thing ever made. A lot of the hype came from the novelty of the presentation and the way people talked about it afterward. Undertone could be experiencing a similar wave right now, where the unusual filmmaking style is helping fuel the conversation just as much as the actual scares.

Is 'Undertone' The Scariest Movie Of 2026?

Calling something the scariest movie of the year in March is obviously a major flex. But right now, Undertone is making a pretty convincing argument. Part of that is simply timing. The early months of 2026 haven't produced many horror releases yet, which gives a film like this room to dominate. Of course, the horror calendar for the rest of the year is stacked with movies that could challenge it.

One of the most talked-about upcoming releases is Ice Cream Man, the new film from horror director Eli Roth. The movie centers on a seemingly harmless ice cream vendor whose treats trigger horrifying consequences for the children in a quiet suburban town. If Roth leans fully into his usual shock and dark humor, it could easily become one of the year's most talked-about horror movies.

There's also the Australian horror, Leviticus, that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie follows a family dealing with disturbing religious and supernatural events tied to a strange ancient text. And then there's director Robert Eggers' upcoming medieval horror, Werwulf, set in 13th-century England, that revolves around villagers terrorized by a mysterious creature stalking the countryside.