undertone sparked a seven-figure bidding war at Fantasia Film Festival before A24 secured it for streaming. That kind of money doesn’t get thrown around for gimmicks. Director Ian Tuason built the entire film around auditory scares, and industry response was immediate; he was hired for Paranormal Activity 8 based on undertone’s approach alone.
Meanwhile, Recluse premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival with Steven Schneider attached as executive producer through Spooky Pictures. Schneider produced the original Paranormal Activity, which “changed the game entirely” and became “the most profitable horror film in history” through its use of sound-based tension. His involvement with Recluse signals that established horror producers recognize audio-driven approaches as more than a trend.
“I can’t remember the last time a movie made every hair on my body stand up, but undertone got me good,” wrote Joe Lipsett in his 4.5-skull review from Fantasia Film Festival. That reaction, repeated across festival circuits, explains why undertone streams June 26 on HBO Max and why Tuason’s phone started ringing with franchise offers.
Why Sound Succeeds Where Visuals Fail
Audio horror works because it operates differently from visual scares. Sound design is “equally critical” in horror films, and “in many cases, it is even more instrumental in helping evoke a strong emotional response in viewers” than what appears on screen, according to industry analysis. The approach forces psychological engagement rather than relying on jump scares or gore.
A Quiet Place proved this concept commercially in 2018, making “$50.2 million, topping the box office and marking the biggest opening for a Paramount film since Star Trek Beyond” with its sound-focused premise. But that film used silence as a plot device. undertone and Recluse go further, making audio itself the source of horror rather than its absence.
Horror works by manipulating familiar patterns. As sound designers note, “Horror dissects these comforts, manipulating them, exposing us to familiar patterns but then subverting our expectations.” Audio horror excels at this subversion because sound reaches audiences in ways visuals cannot, through headphones, in dark rooms, bypassing conscious defenses.
The streaming environment that defines modern horror viewing actually favors audio-driven approaches. Viewers watch on laptops with headphones, on phones, in environments where sound design can create intimacy that big-screen visuals cannot match. undertone and Recluse were designed for this reality.
The Industry Investment Behind Audio Horror
Steven Schneider’s involvement with Recluse through Spooky Pictures connects directly to his Paranormal Activity legacy. That franchise “made it the most profitable film of all time, surpassing The Blair Witch Project” by focusing on audio cues and off-screen scares rather than expensive visual effects. Schneider understands that sound-based horror scales better financially and creatively.
Ian Tuason’s hiring for Paranormal Activity 8, following undertone’s success, represents the clearest evidence of industry confidence in audio horror expertise. Franchise horror doesn’t take risks on unproven approaches; Tuason’s attachment suggests studios view audio-first horror as commercially viable, not just artistically interesting.
A24’s commitment to undertone with its streaming deal demonstrates that major distributors recognize the approach’s market potential. The company doesn’t acquire films that sparked seven-figure bidding wars without believing in their commercial prospects.
Paranormal Activity “paved the way for a rise in bold, original horror movies succeeding at the box office,” according to industry tracking. The simultaneous emergence of undertone and Recluse, backed by established horror producers and major distributors, suggests that audio-first horror represents the next evolution of that original film’s sound-based innovation.
The pattern is clear: established producers with track records in profitable horror are betting on audio-driven approaches. It’s a calculated investment in horror’s creative future, backed by festival success and critical praise that proves audience appetite for sound-first scares.