Undertone (2025/2026)

DIRECTED BY

Ian Tuason

STARRING

Nina Kiri - Evy

Adam DiMarco - Justin

Michèle Duquet - Mama

Keana Lyn Bastidas - Jessa

Jeff Yung - Mike

Genre - Horror/Supernatural

Running Time - 94 Minutes

PLOT

The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.

REVIEW

UNDERTONE? More like UNDERWHELMED.

UNDERTONE was one of my most anticipated horror films for 2026 due to a lot of positive buzz after it played in Canada last year and an interesting trailer that promised me some creepiness in podcast form. But I should have known by now that any film that’s marketed as the “scariest horror film in years” will end up disappointing me.

That’s not to say that this film is terrible. In fact, it’s far from it. The sound design for UNDERTONE, considering the horror is coming through a podcast, is absolutely incredible and some of the best I’ve heard in a horror film in a very long time. The sounds and noises that come across from the audio files, especially towards the end, are pretty unnerving as you’re trying to make out what the sounds are. It’s like some evil ASMR. If you do plan on watching this, definitely see it in Dolby or with noiseless headphones when it hits streaming at home. For a film about audio horror, UNDERTONE definitely succeeds in that aspect.

I also thought the cinematography was quite good as well. While there were some edit and pacing issues at times, it didn’t deter how nice the film looked. I enjoy looking at all angles of a single shot during a horror film, wondering if there’s anything dangerous lurking in the shadows. UNDERTONE makes you do that quite a lot once the audio files begin getting more demonic and strange.

I also felt lead actress Nina Kiri was very good in her role of Evy. She plays all emotional beats believably as she goes from supernatural skeptic to quick believer during the film’s final act. Kiri’s character can be a bit abrasive and unlikable at times, but you’re still willing to know more about her and her family situation. Dealing with a dying mother is traumatic, especially if you’re the single caretaker. Believe me, I know from personal experience with my own mom who sadly passed away over a decade ago. So I understood the mood changes and the defense mechanism of being a non-believer. Kiri handled all that really nicely, especially when she’s mainly the only actor that appears on screen from beginning to end.

I did have issues with Adam DiMarco’s portrayal of Justin, Evy’s podcast co-host. I liked him quite fine on his season of The White Lotus, but something about his voice in UNDERTONE kept rubbing me the wrong way. Maybe it was the audio mixing? Maybe it was the way he recited lines and reacted to things that were happening? It also helps that we barely know who he is, so it was really tough to care about what was going on with him over Evy.

In fact, the character development in UNDERTONE is seriously lacking. Despite spending 90 minutes with Evy, I still barely scratched the surface on who she was. Her mother is dying. She has her own medical situation that occurs in the film. She seems to have a boyfriend but he refuses to help her take care of her mom. Justin seems to care a lot about Evy but she pushes him away. How did they meet anyway? Why did Evy lose her closeness to her mom? Why did she shun religion as a teenager? These things are never really explored and it hurts the film because we’re supposed to care about a main character [really our only character onscreen] that we have very little info about. I wish the horror aspect would have created an opportunity to explore her life but the film never goes there really.

And I’m gonna be honest - I was drifting in and out of sleep watching this, despite a crowded theater and loud audio. Something about horror films like this one don’t do a whole lot for me unless the characters or the situation are super interesting and have a commentary that fleshes out the main narrative. This is just found footage ASMR - a film that wants to unnerve you for most of the film without showing you much, until the last 10 minutes where the shit hits the fan and the film finally becomes visually interesting. It’s the only time UNDERTONE felt alive for me because things were actually happening. Too much build up isn’t always a good thing, especially when all the real fun stuff is at the end. 

And is UNDERTONE an anti-abortion film? Is it a film about religious guilt and how not believing will result in terrible things? Look ladies - your body, your choice. I don’t care how a demon feels about that. You do you, ladies.

THE FINAL HOWL

I really wanted to like this film more than I did, but UNDERTONE is a pretty disappointing flick after all the buzz and hype for it. The sound design is fantastic and makes the film worth watching for that alone. And I liked the cinematography and the use of spacing within shots to make you peek to see if anything strange was hiding in the shadows or in corners of the room. And basically a one-woman show, Nina Kiri did quite well with what she was given as main character Evy.

But the script didn’t do a whole lot for me, as there’s a lack of development and unanswered questions about all the characters involved. The audio can be unnerving, but it gets kind of old by the end. And it takes a long time to get to the good stuff [the last 10 minutes or so] before it suddenly ends. When you make me quote “Miss You Much”-era Janet Jackson and ask “Is that the end?”, there’s something not quite right. I’m not a fan of films that have a promising build up that leads to a lacking payoff. But hey - I respect the filmmakers for making a solid profit out of a $500,000 budget.

If you loved UNDERTONE, then I love that for you. But for me, it’s just another overhyped horror film that didn’t reach the heights I was expecting it to. By the way, adding demonic entities to podcasts wasn’t necessary. Editing, scheduling and making sure episodes are recorded is hard enough for us already.

SCORE

2 Howls Outta 4

(6 out of 10)

The Bride! (2026)

DIRECTED BY

Maggie Gyllenhaal

STARRING

Jessie Buckley - Ida/Mary Shelley

Christian Bale - Frank

Annette Bening - Dr. Cornelia Euphronious

Peter Sarsgaard - Jake Wiles

Penélope Cruz - Myrna Malloy

Jake Gyllenhaal - Ronnie Reed

Genre - Horror/Crime/Romance/Monsters

Running Time - 126 Minutes

PLOT

A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride is born. But what ensues is beyond what either of them imagined.

REVIEW

A modern interpretation of one of the greatest Universal Monster features of all time, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s version of THE BRIDE! is inspired by 1935’s BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1967’s BONNIE AND CLYDE, a few Golden Age of Hollywood gangster movies, as well as a JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX vibe that can’t be ignored. Actress Gyllenhaal really swings for the fences as a director for her first big-budgeted feature, going all out and throwing so many ideas at the wall while working with what sticks. Unfortunately, this becomes troublesome for THE BRIDE! as its narrative feels all over the place throughout its runtime. Is it a monster horror film? Is it a gangster film? Is it a romantic drama? Is it a musical? Is it too message heavy on feminism and misogyny? I think if THE BRIDE! had more of a focus with its screenplay [also written by Gyllenhaal], this film would have been better received by a mainstream audience who aren’t ready or willing to accept anything this experimental. It’s tonally all over the place, which might make it tough for many to connect with.

That being said, the cast is pretty great in THE BRIDE!. Future Oscar Winner Jessie Buckley is phenomenal as the title character, playing a dual role as both the victim “Ida” and author Mary Shelley, who possesses Ida’s body to experience what it would feel like to be the Bride of Frankenstein. Buckley plays both roles quite differently, sometimes at the same time, changing accents and dialects that’s both jarring and awe-inspiring all at once. She’s all in on these characters and you can tell she’s having a lot of fun playing both ladies. No matter what one might think of this film, we can all agree that Buckley is fantastic here.

Same goes to Christian Bale as Frank, who plays the famous monster in a quiet manner until he’s provoked, almost childlike compared to the more adult and confident Bride. Bale gets to sing, dance, have action moments and share romantic chemistry with Buckley. It’s one of his many quirky roles that works well in his favor, as he’s fun to watch.

The rest of the supporting cast is good as well. Maggie Gyllenhaal brings in her husband, Peter Sarsgaard as a detective who may be connected with Ida. She also brings in her brother Jake in a smaller role as an actor Frank is infatuated with. Penelope Cruz holds her own as Sarsgaard’s investigative assistant who seems more capable for the job than he is. And Annette Benning is wonderful as Dr. Cornelia Euphronious, a new mad scientist who brings The Bride to life.

Despite the messy screenplay, Gyllenhaal does visualize a beautiful looking film that feels both retro and modern at the same time. Colors pop, the special effects and make-up are on point, and the action-oriented sequences have energy and tension. I’m not sure if any studio will give her another $90 million to play with as a filmmaker after the commercial disappointment of THE BRIDE!, but Gyllenhaal definitely has a unique voice and a clear vision of the type of movies she probably wants to continue making. So I’m very interested in what she does next.

THE FINAL HOWL

THE BRIDE! isn’t for everyone and I understand why a majority of people seem to dislike it. But this is everything that JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX should have been as Gyllenhaal has the balls to make something outside the mainstream, even if it doesn’t completely work in the end. I would rather see filmmakers think outside the box and make their personal art than directors who want to play it safe for the quick cash. THE BRIDE! is the type of movie that cinema needs more of, even if audiences won’t embrace it right away. But I definitely see this becoming a cult favorite in the future.

SCORE

3 Howls Outta 4

(7 out of 10)

Scream 7 (2026)

DIRECTED BY

Kevin Williamson

STARRING

Neve Campbell - Sidney Prescott-Evans

Isabel May - Tatum Evans

Jasmin Savoy Brown - Mindy Meeks-Martin

Mason Gooding - Chad Meeks-Martin

Anna Camp - Jessica Bowden

Mckenna Grace - Hannah Thurman

Asa Germann - Lucas Bowden

Celeste O'Connor - Chloe Parker

Sam Rechner - Ben Brown

Joel McHale - Mark Evans 

Courteney Cox - Gale Weathers

Ethan Embry - Marco Davis

Matthew Lillard - Stu Macher

Genre - Horror/Slasher

Running Time - 114 Minutes

PLOT

When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all.

REVIEW

I originally wasn’t going to review SCREAM 7. I was on such a high with 2023's SCREAM VI [my second favorite of the franchise], but then it got soured by all the behind-the-scenes drama that led into the production of this seventh installment in the most successful slasher franchise of all time. The firing of Melissa Barrera over her political views [which led to Jenna Ortega leaving with her], to Spyglass’ and Paramount’s association with the current administration in the United States, to both Radio Silence and Christopher Landon leaving directorial duties due to the drama [bringing in Kevin Williamson to direct a SCREAM film for the first time since being part of the franchise as a writer since the beginning], to finally bringing back Neve Campbell and other previous cast members [alive and dead] as some sort of desperate attempt to please the fanbase - it was very distracting and left me less excited for this sequel. The use of A.I. to market this movie? Yuck. Even the trailers looked same old, same old. But I was curious in the direction of bringing back Sidney Prescott-Evans to the franchise, so here we are.

The good? The cast is solid here. Neve Campbell being back does make SCREAM 7 feel like a worthy sequel as she returns as a mother whose past is now haunting her and her oldest daughter, Tatum. Campbell can play Sidney in her sleep at this point and she’s still the same badass that many of us fell in love with back in 1996. I also appreciated that the character had stakes again, really bringing out the Final Girl protector role out of Campbell. I also liked Isabel May as Sidney’s daughter Tatum. I wasn’t sure at first, since the trailers didn’t make the character appealing to me at all. But May holds her own here, playing the total opposite of Sidney as a more naive and somewhat helpless character due to Sidney’s overprotectiveness and hiding of her past from her daughter. It’s obvious May will be the lead character in the next installment, which I’m fine with as long as the character evolves into a more self-efficient Final Girl.

Courteney Cox has one of the best intro moments in the franchise as the returning Gale Weathers. She feels more like the Gale of old rather than the Gale of recent sequels, which I actually liked. Joel McHale surprised me as Sidney’s husband Mark, as he does well in the role and has some good moments against Ghostface. He fit in better than I thought he would have. McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor and Asa Germann don’t get a ton to do as Tatum’s friends, but do well with what they’re given. And it’s good to see Matthew Lillard back as Stu Macher, who is clearing having a blast and gets to recite some of the best dialogue in the film. He hasn’t missed a bit as the Stu character.

I thought some of the kills were also pretty inventive. The one inside the school was pretty brutal and the major one inside a bar restaurant that involved a drink dispenser made my jaw drop in how well done it was. Both felt like they were leftovers from a TERRIFIER script, which isn’t a bad thing. This film needed more memorable moments like this.

I also didn’t mind the opening act. Unfortunately most of it was ruined by the trailers, but I liked the tension and suspense infused throughout the first 15 minutes of the film with two characters that unfortunately didn’t mean anything at all for the rest of the film. I know some had issues that the opening didn’t involve a popular actor, but I liked that it felt ordinary and not at all distracting and predictable.

It’s a shame the rest of the film is super shallow and feels like fan fiction that ChatGPT wrote. Character development is pretty much non-existent. I honestly had no idea what the names were for Tatum’s friends until I looked them up. That’s how fleshed out and memorable they were. Even Tatum’s boyfriend was as bland as a rice cake. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick have worked on decent scripts before, which surprises me that they didn’t do more drafts to, at least, flesh some of these characters out for us to care about when Ghostface took them out. They weren’t even archetypes or caricatures. Lazy writing.

Speaking of lazy writing, what was up with that awful reveal? Hell, that entire third act was just terrible from beginning to end. From the A.I. usage, to the actual Ghostface reveals, and to the motives of the reveals were just so bad, I couldn’t believe anyone in the production thought this was a good idea. I’ve been okay with the Ghostface identities until now, as it made no sense and involved characters that were barely on the canvas to really surprise the audience in a good way. What a mess.

And how many men has Sidney dated with the name “Mark”? It’s confusing when Patrick Dempsey could have made an interesting pairing with Campbell. But I guess he wasn’t available? And why bring back the Meeks-Martin twins to have them do nothing special? Yes, you want to keep SCREAM (2022) and SCREAM VI canon, but having these two here felt like they were in the original Melissa Barrera script and the writers had no idea what to do with them once she was fired. I mean, it was nice to see them but they were just the comic relief and they weren’t really all that funny honestly.

Also, you’re telling me that Tatum has NO IDEA who her mom was? All those STAB films? The books? No one in her town, who knew who Sidney was, gave Tatum a clue as to what she went through? Google is right there, Tatum!

I also don’t need the script telling me twenty times that Sidney wasn’t in SCREAM VI and acting like it didn’t count because she wasn’t in it. It’s insulting to fans of that film, like yours truly. It was cute the first time and got grating with repeated mentions.

THE FINAL HOWL

After reading what the original SCREAM 7 could have been, it makes this version of SCREAM 7 more disappointing. There was a dark cloud over this film from the start and it lingered until the end credits concluded. Glad Neve Campbell got her bag and it was fun seeing her and some of the returning characters back again. But the script was not good and the Ghostface reveals were atrocious. It didn’t help that the killers were really obvious to begin with. Just a lazy sequel that unfortunately did so well, we’re getting another one. Hopefully they try harder with SCREAM 8 because SCREAM 7 did not make me excited for another one. Personally, I think Ghostface needs to rest for a while. But I’m not greedy Hollywood, so what does my opinion matter?

SCORE

2 Howls Outta 4

(5 out of 10)