Pop Commentary

“Undertone?” more underwhelming! The premise of the new horror movie had so much potential, but it was squandered due to lack of action.

The synopsis

“Undertone” follows the host of a paranormal podcast as she becomes haunted by mysterious recordings that are sent her way.

The gag

What I liked best about the movie was the creepy nature of the house. The film really captured how scary it would be for things to move on their own or for you to hear things when you’re in a house by yourself.

Another highlight for me was the relationship between the main character and her podcast host. My favorite parts of the movie involved them trying to discover what the disturbing recordings could mean, though the way they recorded their podcast seemed pretty unrealistic.

The drag

I think my biggest complaint about the movie would be that just not enough happened. Yes, the house was creepy, but for the most part, it was just the main character sitting at a table by herself until the end. It could have used some jump scares or the introduction of another character somewhere in the middle.

Another thing I didn’t like was the overcomplicated plot. The filmmakers tried to blend too many themes together, like children’s songs, podcasts, demons, pregnancy, religion, and dying parents. Plus, most of those themes weren’t even explored visually, just verbally.

The verdict

I ended up pretty disappointed with the film and don’t recommend it unless you’re really in need of a horror movie to watch at home.

If you’ve seen “Undertone,” let me know what you thought of it in the comments and subscribe to Pop Commentary for movie and TV reviews like this!