Lilli Keeve
By this point in the cultural zeitgeist, the zombie genre is well-trodden territory. From The Walking Dead to The Last of Us and 28 Days Later, Zombieland, and Shaun of the Dead, there are countless more films to name. In the same vein, apocalyptic fiction has also become immensely popular over the last decade, and YA novels are frontrunners in that department. Courtney Summers’ 2012 horror fiction novel, This Is Not a Test is the basis for Adam MacDonald’s film adaptation by the same name.
Taking place in 1998, the movie follows Sloane (Olivia Holt of TV’s Cloak and Dagger series), a teenager navigating an abusive home life and being abandoned by her older sister, Lily (SkyMed cast member Joelle Farrow). People begin turning into ferocious zombies, prompting an apocalypse in her small hometown. Sloane and four classmates must survive the odds and band together, taking shelter in their high school as everything they know crumbles on the outside.
It’s not an easy feat adapting source material, and Adam MacDonald clearly has an eye for directing and putting his own creative stamp on the book’s themes. This Is Not a Test possesses strong visual elements and succeeds in building an intense atmosphere amidst the pressures and nuances of adolescence. However, the character development felt sparse, and any attempts at substantial depth were squandered, partly due to the overemphasis on gore and violence.
The characters in This is Not a Test loosely resemble the iconic group from John Hughes’ 1985 teen classic The Breakfast Club. Sloane is the quiet outcast, Rhys (Froy Gutierrez of The Strangers: Chapter 1 and Hocus Pocus 2) is the shy, intelligent type, the jock Cary (Corteon Moore of From) somewhat mirrors Emilio Estevez’s character Andrew, Grace (up and coming TV actress Chloe Avakian) is the pretty, popular girl, and her protective brother, Trace (Carson MacCormac of the Shazam! film series), is the smart-talking tough guy type. While these teenagers feel authentic to the time period and also speak realistically, the strongest character dynamic is between Sloane and Rhys, who exhibit a raw chemistry and evident connection. In an endearing moment shared in a hallway, they discuss losing their parents and how Rhys had always noticed Sloane from afar. Unfortunately, the film lacks significant development of other characters, resulting in the audience not empathizing with or caring about them.
Adam MacDonald tactfully illustrates the horrifying situation the characters face via the somber mood and dim lighting. In This is Not a Test, They rarely sleep, eat, or even breathe without the impending threat of zombies breaking into the seemingly safe and isolated space. Running from a brutal death or the fear of infection is their new norm, and the heightened stakes of their reality lend to the consistent terror of never knowing when their time might come. The relentless tension and anxiety are palpable, and with each character carrying their own distinct trauma and issues, the weight of survival (or choosing against it) closes in on them.
Olivia Holt shone in her portrayal of Sloane and is the standout performance, along with Froy Gutierrez. Yet, even with glimmers of hopefulness, This Is Not a Test lacked a clear message or intention of what it was trying to say (if it even aimed to). Maybe there wasn’t meant to be any earth-shattering insight or intriguing takeaway, which is nothing to gripe about, but something was missing and resulted in a hollow ending that felt superficial and frustrating.
Setting the zombie narrative aside, the movie is intentionally gritty, dark, and bleak, touching on intense subjects such as suicidal ideation, depression, and physical and emotional abuse. The sudden blaring of heavy metal music adds to the ’90s grunge aesthetic, and cold, wintry surroundings pair evenly with the teens’ fraught existentialism and fragile states. MacDonald doesn’t shy away from the grotesque, splattery violence, which goes both ways. These scenes, tonally and technically effective, distract from opportunities to understand these characters more thoroughly.
