Is Undertone woke?
Movie · 2026
Undertone has a wokeness score of 1/10, which we rate as Not Woke. No political or woke messaging whatsoever. Focuses entirely on story, characters, fun, or escapism.
Key points
- Pure supernatural horror with zero political messaging or social lectures.
- Diversity in cast feels organic, integrated without drawing attention.
- Story prioritizes escapism, tension, and scares over any ideological agenda.
Wokeness analysis
Undertone (2026) exemplifies pure horror escapism, delivering unrelenting supernatural terror through innovative audio-driven scares without any intrusion of progressive messaging or social commentary. Directed by Ian Tuason in his feature debut, the film centers on Evy (Nina Kiri), a skeptical paranormal podcaster caring for her comatose mother, who receives anonymous audio recordings of a possessed pregnant couple. As she analyzes the files with co-host Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco), eerie EVP, backmasking, and demonic howls bleed into her reality, blurring fiction and nightmare in a single-location descent into madness. Reviews universally praise its claustrophobic atmosphere, sound design, and psychological dread—influenced by classics like Hereditary and Paranormal Activity—but note zero political undertones, identity politics, or forced diversity lectures. The cast features natural ethnic representation: lead Nina Kiri (of Filipino descent) anchors the story organically as a caregiver haunted by familial guilt and supernatural evil, with supporting voices like Jeff Yung (Asian) as the husband in recordings. No characters pivot to serve ideological agendas; plot and tension dominate, prioritizing chills over preachiness. A24's acquisition and Sundance/Fantasia screenings highlight its artistic merit in raw horror craft, not activism. In an era saturated with message-heavy films alienating audiences, Undertone refreshingly focuses on universal fears—grief, isolation, the unknown—offering unadulterated entertainment that resonates without condescension or virtue-signaling. Viewers report lingering unease from its 'hear, don't show' philosophy, proving effective storytelling trumps forced wokeness every time.
Plot
Evy Babic, host of paranormal podcast 'The Undertone,' returns to her childhood home to care for her dying mother, who lies comatose upstairs. Amid the emotional strain of caregiving, Evy records late-night episodes with remote co-host Justin, a true believer in the spooky. Their routine shatters when Justin receives an anonymous email with ten audio files from a pregnant couple, Mike and Jessa, documenting escalating paranormal disturbances: sleep paralysis, demonic growls, backmasked children's songs, and EVP whispers. As Evy skeptically dissects the clips—revealing hidden messages and possessions mirroring her own life—supernatural phenomena invade her home. Noises echo from vents, shadows shift in peripheral vision, and her mother's condition worsens amid possessions. The film masterfully builds dread through immersive sound design, minimal visuals, and psychological unraveling, culminating in a revelation tying the recordings to Evy's buried trauma. Clocking in at 94 minutes, it's a taut, single-location chiller blending found-audio horror with intimate family dread.
Analyzed by AI on April 22, 2026