Follows Sloane and four other students who take shelter in their high school during a zombie outbreak.
Chuck says:
Where art and business are concerned, there’s a thought that if you’re going to steal an idea, steal from the best. I’m sure Adam McDonald wasn’t doing this consciously when adapting Courtney Summers’ novel “This is Not a Test” to the screen, but the influence of George Romero and Sam Raimi on the film is obvious. I don’t mean this as a slight; just because you recognize a solid approach doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have the skill to replicate it. It’s to McDonald’s credit that he can still find things to disturb and frighten an audience in a zombie movie, the genre long past its sell-buy date.
Setting the story in 1998, Summers puts her teen characters in immediate peril, what with this being the pre-cellphone age. It’s a wise choice as being cut off from the outside world proves to be a major sticking point for the small group that finds refuge in their well-fortified high school.
However, before the close quarters begin to wear on the five survivors, McDonald starts things with a bang. The breakfast Sloane (Olivia Holt) and her abusive father (Jeff Roop) are sharing is abruptly interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. Loud screams and a car accident are heard and before she knows it, a member of the undead is in their living room, munching on her father. Fleeing into the street, Slaone’s met with a nightmarish situation, as packs of zombies hunt down the living, feasting on them in a communal frenzy. McDonald’s jittery, on-the-run handheld shots effectively underscore the chaos.
Helped by Rhys (Froy Gutierrez), Cary (Corteon Moore) and siblings Trace (Carson MacCormac) and Grace (Chloe Avakian), the five teens barricade themselves in and try to decide their next move. Complications ensue when they find a teacher, Mr. Baxter (Luke MacFarlane), hiding in his room, who may or may not be infected; though sporting a nasty bite, he claims it was not from a zombie.
As in the Romero films, questions of morality arise, each character revealing their true nature when faced with life-or-death situations. Do they stay in a safe location or venture out for help? Do they wait and see if Baxter becomes a zombie or throw him out? Is a message left on a school phone saying things are safe to be trusted? And just which one of the impulsive teens is mature enough to lead them? The claustrophobia that sets in also has an effect on their outlook, as Summers accurately captures the teen mindset that results in decisions that aren’t fully thought out.
While McDonald does a good job increasing the tension throughout, perhaps his biggest contribution is in having assembled a strong, young cast. So often, films of this nature fail due to flat performances from teen performers, but across the board the five principals are convincing. Perhaps most impressive, they garner our sympathy.
The character of Sloane is front and center, as through flashbacks we become privy to her tumultuous homelife and its effects. Her mother having left, her older sister, Lily (Joelle Farrow) has also abandoned her, leaving the young woman contemplating suicide. For good or ill, the zombie outbreak scuttles that plan. Yet this proves to be a transformative experience, witnessing death on a massive scale serving as a reminder as to its precious nature.
This theme helps elevate the film above others of its ilk, McDonald and Summers stressing the morality of the story rather than its violence. Briskly told and with an ending that doesn’t disappoint, “Test” is a solid genre entry that shows that in the right hands, even a well-worn premise can still be effective.
3 Stars
