Writer-director Ian Tuason's feature debut, the sonic-driven horror "Undertone," has, at least at the outset, an appealingly stripped-down quality. The 30-something Evy Babic (Nina Kiri) lives with her dying, comatose mother (Michèle Duquet). The movie never leaves their small, two-story home. Upstairs, Evy's mother lies wordlessly in a bed. Downstairs, Evy, at 3 a.m. puts on headphones, sits in front of a microphone and calls up her paranormal podcast co-host Justin (Adam DiMarco's voice) to talk "all things creepy." It's a testament to Tuason's evident filmmaking talent that, with these bare bones, "Undertone" swells into a gripping and unsettling experience. This is a movie that summons many of its scares with a sudden boost in audio levels, the thunderous tick of a clock or the scream of … a tea kettle. It's even rated "R" not for bloodcurdling violence or satanic ghouls but, simply, "language." It's these subtle qualities that make "Undertone" a spare but deftly dense film and Tuason a filmmaker to watch. It's the movie's disappointing second half, though, that breaks its quiet spell. After conjuring a tapestry of tension through narrative drips, as well as literal ones, Tuason throws in the whole kitchen sink, drowning out "Undertone" with a cacophony of genre cliches. Ancient Christian lore is invoked, as are children's lullabies, and the riveting nuance of "Undertone" slips away in all the feedback. "I want it to be over," Evy tells Justin. "Is that a bad thing to say?" Evy's mother hasn't eaten in two days, and her emotional exhaustion is clear when she first connects with her London-based co-host. You might here be wondering if the movie digs into this guilt, but "Undertone" is better at leaving carefully placed clues than following... Read More