20 Scariest Horror Movies Of The 2020s (So Far)
7. Undertone
Once again confirming that creativity will always triumph over big budgets, Ian Tuason's utterly chilling debut Undertone took a confined, micro-budget $500,000 setup and produced one of the most uniquely unsettling experiences of the year.
Undertone follows a podcaster, Evy (Nina Kiri), who moves back home to care for her dying mother only to find herself haunted by strange audio recordings sent to her.
More than any other film on this list, Undertone lives and dies on the strength of its tactile sound design, which basically feels like a character in its own right, considering how much attention is drawn to even the faintest environmental sound.
Despite the entire film taking place in a single location with just two on-screen characters, Tuason turns this limitation into a strength, emphasising Evy's sense of isolation as the walls close in.
Nina Kiri gives a superb performance in the lead role, and while it's absolutely a movie best seen on the big screen for maximum aural immersion, the next best choice is watching it late at night with a great pair of headphones.