This Chilling A24 Horror Movie Is Scaring HBO Max Users All Over Again

"Obsession" has become a bona fide phenomenon. "Backrooms" blew everyone away at the box office. Even the new "Scary Movie," which makes fun of horror films, got people crawling back to theaters to see their favorite tropes get skewered. There's been so much horror to pay attention to, it's easy for something smaller like "Undertone," a recently released A24 genre entry, to fly under the radar. But now you have a chance to watch it at home — and hopefully, you have a good sound system handy. 

"Undertone" came out on March 13 but is now available to watch at home on HBO Max. It's already blowing up the streamer's charts, becoming the most watched movie on the platform starting on June 29. And it's easy to see how the bare bones approach to chilling spines has effectively won over hearts and minds.

The film sees Evy (Nina Kiri) recording a podcast episode from her home while caring for her ailing mother. Of course, it's a horror podcast, and she and her co-host listen to a series of recordings allegedly containing paranormal occurrences. But the deeper Evy goes into the recordings, the more she realizes what's described in the tapes is happening to her. 

What makes movies like "Insidious" so scary is how they effectively deploy haunting imagery and jump scares. But with "Undertone," the terror is all in the sound design, as you find yourself catching little hums and hisses to suggest that Evy isn't as alone in her home as she thinks. 

Much of "Undertone" consists of Evy sitting at a desk talking into a microphone. It doesn't sound all that riveting, but when she puts on her noise-canceling headphones, all the sounds from the rest of the house disappear. You suddenly find yourself peering deep into the dark hallways of her house, suspecting you might have seen or heard something. Evy is completely unaware — until the horrors catch up with her. 

"Undertone" made $21 million at the box office and garnered a 75% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences only gave it a 50% on the platform, meaning it's very much a "love it or hate it" type of horror film. It's a low-key premise, without giant monsters or impressive visual effects filling up every frame, but it night be just what you're looking for if you're in the mood for a different type of horror experience. 

"Undertone" may not work for everyone, but for those willing to give it a shot, it can get under your skin in more ways than one. On Instagram, @itsyourfilmsis noted that she broke out in hives after watching the movie. On Reddit, one user reportedly felt like taking a nerve pill afterward to calm themselves down. A movie that can elicit a real health episode? That's just about the best endorsement a horror flick can receive.

"Backrooms" may be the A24 horror movie everyone's talking about right now, but as we wait for "Backrooms 2" to get here, why not give "Undertone" a chance?