Horror Hangout Podcast Episode 432 : Undertone (w/ Emma Arneil)

In Horror Hangout Episode 432, hosts Ben Errington and Andy Conduit Turner welcome Emma Arneil, host of *Horror and Her*, to explore her unique approach to horror storytelling through intimate 'horror origin stories' with women, non-binary, and femme-presenting guests. The conversation delves into how personal experiences with horror films shape identity, power, and emotional growth, with a focus on countering dominant 'film bro' narratives in the genre. The hosts express excitement for Emma’s upcoming Season 3 and reflect on her experiences at HorrorCon Scotland, including playful banter about *Anna and the Apocalypse* and its potential as a musical. The episode then shifts to a deep analysis of the 2025 Canadian supernatural horror film *Undertone*, a podcast-centric thriller about a skeptical host haunted by mysterious audio recordings. The discussion highlights the film’s masterful sound design, atmospheric tension, and thematic exploration of isolation, caregiving trauma, Catholic guilt, and systemic failures in mental and elder care. Central to the narrative is the demon Abazoo, a symbol of the historical and cultural demonization of women who are infertile or choose not to have children, reinforced through eerie audio manipulation, backwards nursery rhymes, and haunting visual motifs. While the hosts praise the film’s technical prowess and lingering psychological unease, they critique its narrative for being overly cluttered, attempting to tackle too many heavy themes—maternal guilt, postpartum depression, addiction—without sufficient depth. The conversation concludes with a meta-reflection on podcasting culture, the ethics of recommending extreme horror, and the potential of *Undertone* as a serialized podcast, where its audio-driven strengths could shine even brighter.