Fantasia 25' Hosts World Premiere of Haunting Podcast Horror The Undertone

Nina Kiri unravels a chilling mystery in The Undertone, premiering July 27 at Fantasia Fest.

THE UNDERTONE Set for World Premiere at Fantasia 2025

New horror feature from Ian Tuason blurs the line between podcast fiction and personal nightmare

Podcast hosts, beware—Fantasia 2025 is about to make you question every audio file you’ve ever received.

Writer-director Ian Tuason returns to his hometown of Montreal for the world premiere of his debut feature film The Undertone, a deeply unsettling horror tale that taps into the eerie intimacy of audio storytelling. Known for his VR horror short showcased at Fantasia back in 2016, Tuason now delivers a haunting full-length vision that’s already secured distribution through Canadian genre mainstay Black Fawn Films.

Starring Nina Kiri (The Handmaid’s Tale, Fingernails), Kris Holden-Ried (The Umbrella Academy, Lost Girl), and Michèle Duquet (The Virgin Suicides, Goosebumps), The Undertone follows a popular podcast host who moves back into her childhood home to care for her dying mother. What starts as a temporary return quickly turns into a psychological descent when she receives ten disturbing audio recordings from an anonymous source. The tapes chronicle the unraveling of a young pregnant couple facing intense paranormal activity—echoing the host’s own traumatic past in uncanny and terrifying ways.

“The Undertone taps into something hauntingly primal,” said executive producer Chad Archibald, who is leading the film’s global sales via Black Fawn Distribution. “It’s eerie, deeply personal, and truly unshakable.”

Producer Dan Slater (Slaterverse) and Cody Calahan (Black Fawn Films) have teamed up with Kino Studio to bring Tuason’s vision to life. “Premiering my first feature here in Montreal, where I was born, feels like the perfect homecoming,” Tuason shared. “I can’t wait to scare the hell out of the best horror audience I’ve ever seen.”

The Undertone will make its world premiere on July 27 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, with first-look stills already released. Expect a slow-burn psychological horror steeped in dread, intimacy, and sonic terror—perfect for fans of The Night House, Archive 81, or The Taking of Deborah Logan.

Synopsis:

A podcast host moves into her dying mother’s home and begins receiving anonymous audio files of a couple descending into madness. As she listens, she realizes the woman’s story is a chilling mirror of her own, and each new recording pushes her closer to a fate she cannot escape.

Stay tuned for more coverage of The Undertone and all things Fantasia 2025.