A24's Undertone Hits HBO Max June 26 — The $500K Horror That Made $21M Is About to Blow Up

Undertone Is Coming to HBO Max — And It Might Be the Scariest Movie You Watch This Year

If you have been following horror movies in 2026, you probably already know about Undertone, the breakout A24 supernatural thriller that took theaters by storm earlier this year. Now there is great news for anyone who missed its theatrical run: the film is officially landing on HBO Max on June 26, 2026.

Written and directed by Ian Tuason in his feature directorial debut, Undertone was produced on a jaw-droppingly small budget of just $500,000 — and somehow went on to gross $21 million worldwide. That is a 42x return on investment, making it one of the most profitable films of the entire year, not just in the horror genre.

The Premise: Horror You Hear, Not Just See

Undertone follows Evy (played brilliantly by Nina Kiri), a paranormal skeptic who co-hosts a podcast with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco). When Evy returns to her childhood home to care for her comatose mother, she receives a string of deeply disturbing audio files allegedly recorded by a pregnant couple. What follows is a claustrophobic investigation into something terrifying — something she cannot quite see, but definitely can hear.

The film's entire marketing campaign leaned into its sound-first approach with the tagline: "The scariest movie you will ever hear." And honestly? They are not wrong. Tuason built the scares around audio cues layered beneath podcast recordings — whispers that repeat, sounds that shift or vanish, ambient noise that slowly becomes unbearable. The film is best experienced in a quiet room, ideally with headphones. Put your phone away.

Why This A24 Hit Deserves Your Full Attention

A24 has built its empire on exactly this kind of filmmaking — low-budget, high-concept, and executed with precision. Think about Talk to Me (2023), Hereditary (2018), or The Witch (2015). Undertone slots right into that legacy. The fact that Nina Kiri carries almost every scene alone is a testament to both her performance and Tuason's confidence as a first-time director.

The movie's success was so explosive that A24 has already greenlit a prequel, with a third installment also in early discussions. That is how you know you are dealing with a franchise-worthy property — not a studio-mandated cash grab, but something audiences genuinely responded to.

For context, Undertone also premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2025 before its March 13, 2026 theatrical release in the US. Critical reception was solidly positive, with praise directed at the innovative sound design and Kiri's anchored performance.

Other Horror Movies Worth Watching in 2026

While Undertone is arguably the standout indie horror of the year, 2026 has been loaded for the genre. Here are a few other titles worth checking out alongside it:

• Passenger (2026) — Directed by Andre Ovredal, this one just hit streaming and is getting serious buzz as the scariest film of Memorial Day weekend
• Hope (2026) — South Korea's wildest monster movie of the year, a must-see blockbuster
• Resident Evil reboot — Hitting theaters on September 18, 2026, bringing the franchise back with a fresh take
• Five Nights at Freddy's 2 — The sequel is on its way, and early reports suggest it is leaning even harder into horror

If you are a horror fan who has been waiting for something genuinely unsettling — not just another jump-scare factory — mark your calendar. Undertone arrives on HBO Max on June 26, and it might just be the most talked-about horror movie of the summer.

Have you seen Undertone in theaters? Are you planning to watch it on HBO Max? Drop your thoughts below!