There are horror trailers that rely on jump scares, and then there are trailers that linger in your body long after the screen fades to black. A24’s Undertone belongs firmly in the second category.
From the moment the trailer begins, Undertone communicates something rare and unsettling: this is not a film that wants to frighten you loudly it wants to listen. The pulsating red waveform, the minimalist typography, and the haunting tagline “It wants to be heard” signal a psychological horror experience rooted in sound, silence, and suppressed emotion.
As a studio, A24 has consistently elevated modern horror through films like Hereditary, The Witch, Saint Maud, and Talk to Me. Undertone appears to extend that legacy placing auditory perception, trauma, and inner voices at the center of its narrative.
This article offers an expert-level analysis of the Undertone official trailer, examining its themes, symbolism, sound design, visual language, and cultural relevance while explaining why this film could become one of A24’s most psychologically resonant releases to date.
What Is Undertone About? (What the Trailer Tells Us)
While the trailer deliberately avoids revealing plot details, its visual and sonic cues provide meaningful insight.
At its core, Undertone appears to explore:
- Psychological repression
- The terror of unheard voices
- Sound as memory, guilt, or trauma
- The thin boundary between perception and reality
The central red waveform stretching vertically across a pitch-black void suggests more than audio. It feels like a heartbeat, a scream frozen in time, or a signal struggling to break through silence.
This is horror stripped to its most primal element: frequency.
The Power of Sound as a Horror Mechanism
Sound Design as Narrative
Unlike traditional horror trailers that emphasize visuals, Undertone places sound at the forefront of its identity. The waveform imagery directly references:
- Audio recordings
- Surveillance
- Inner voices
- Psychological disturbances
Sound has always been one of horror cinema’s most powerful tools but Undertone appears to make it the entire language of fear.
In psychological horror, sound often represents:
- Intrusive thoughts
- Suppressed trauma
- Anxiety disorders
- Hallucinations or altered perception
By making sound visible, Undertone suggests that what we hear but don’t confront can become monstrous.
Visual Symbolism: Minimalism with Meaning
The Red Waveform Explained
The trailer’s central image a jagged red frequency line functions on multiple symbolic levels:
- Red signifies danger, blood, rage, and emotional intensity
- Vertical alignment implies imbalance or psychological fracture
- Distortion suggests corruption, interference, or loss of control
This minimalism is intentional. A24’s branding philosophy often removes excess, forcing viewers to engage emotionally rather than intellectually.
The absence of faces, settings, or narrative context allows the audience to project their own fears making the experience deeply personal.
“It Wants to Be Heard”: Decoding the Tagline
This single sentence may be the most disturbing element of the trailer.
Who or what is it?
Possibilities include:
- A suppressed memory
- A buried truth
- A psychological break
- A supernatural entity tied to sound
- The protagonist’s own voice
The brilliance of the tagline lies in its ambiguity. It implies:
- Urgency
- Persistence
- Inescapability
In mental health discourse, unheard voices often symbolize trauma, neglect, or emotional invalidation. Undertone appears poised to explore these themes through the lens of horror where silence becomes dangerous.
A24’s Signature Psychological Horror DNA
How Undertone Fits the Studio’s Legacy
A24 has redefined horror by focusing on:
- Emotional realism
- Slow-burn tension
- Psychological depth
- Artistic restraint
Films like Hereditary and The Lighthouse proved that horror doesn’t need excess it needs precision.
Undertone continues this evolution by:
- Prioritizing atmosphere over exposition
- Using sound as character
- Trusting the audience’s intelligence
This approach aligns with a growing global audience seeking horror that resonates intellectually and emotionally, not just viscerally.
Themes Likely Explored in Undertone
Based on the trailer’s language and imagery, the film may explore:
1. Psychological Isolation
The absence of dialogue suggests internal conflict rather than external threat.
2. Trauma and Suppression
Unheard sounds often represent repressed experiences demanding acknowledgment.
3. Control vs. Chaos
The waveform’s instability mirrors emotional dysregulation.
4. Perception and Reality
What happens when you can’t trust what you hear—or what you feel?
Why Undertone Feels Culturally Relevant
In a world saturated with noise social media, constant communication, information overload Undertone flips the script.
It asks:
- What happens when we stop listening?
- Whose voices are ignored?
- What emotional damage accumulates in silence?
This makes the film particularly resonant in an era of mental health awareness, digital burnout, and emotional disconnection.
Source: A24, IMDB
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