Screamfest 2024 Review: “Test Screening” – A Modern VHS Terror!

Film festivals are some of the best places for filmmakers to premiere their movies and audiences to see their movies, evoking surprise and anticipation because of limited marketing and promotion. There is something so exhilarating about walking in a movie having no idea what you’re going to get. Sometimes, audiences even get treated to test screenings, viewings of new unreleased films to gauge audience’s reactions of an upcoming movie before it is released. Finding a remote area away from large studios to get a genuine reaction is ideal, giving audiences little information on what kind of film they will be seeing.

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However, too little information may arouse suspicion. For teenagers Penny (Chloë Kerwin), Mia (Rain Spencer), Reels (Drew Scheid), and Simon (Johnny Berchtold) some excitement is just what they need, living in a small town in 1982. So, when Reels, the local movie theater employee, is approached by a group of men in black suits giving him tickets to a new test screening in their town, he is overjoyed. He invites all of his friends and family to attend only to discover that the film may be more powerful than he had imagined.

Test Screening creates an atmosphere mirroring a balance of Stephen King small town setups with J. J. Abrams-esque sci-fi flair. Taking place in the 80s, it doesn’t oversaturate itself with props and references but instead decides to utilize its cinematography and style to pay homage to this horror time period. The film is reminiscent of some of the more “out of this world” 70s and 80s B-movies without placing itself in the same category, as it tends to be more upfront with its thematic intentions.

Test Screening knows how to encapsulate the joy and nostalgia of a generation of horror still greatly beloved today, while allowing itself to become a new classic in itself with director and screenwriter Clark Baker and writer Stephen Susco at its helm. It is paced excellently and is sparring in its more “creature-feature” imagery that allows it to have a greater impact later on with its use of practical effects.

Test Screening is heavy-handed in its dialogue but its ability to further its thematic elements through its visuals and overarching concept remains stronger. It takes on the difficulty of not succumbing to ideas and norms that envelop small town folks and how distancing oneself from it is often thought to be the escape. However, through Penny and Mia’s characters, it is insinuated that there is this constant fight between a human’s born nature versus what others want and expect them to be.

A geographical escape isn’t always the final solution because of how strong the mind and outside influences can be. Through an exploration on the two girls’ relationship, this becomes evident that Test Screening’s ideas flourish into more depth than the typical “I want to get out of this town” genre.

With a larger power leading the town’s “special screening,” it is evident the film calls for explanation as to the motivations of the men in the black suits. Where this critic normally feels “tell all” scenes undermine everything a film has worked towards, Test Screening allows it to work in its favor because of its 70s and 80s horror influences. It is indicative of horror films that would be played on the home VHS late at night.

The film itself plays beautifully in a film festival environment, setting its audience up like its characters on screen, experiencing a surprise film without any knowledge ahead of time. Going into Test Screening blind is ideal to be able to relate to the premise on another level. With obvious influences behind it, the movie recognises its predecessors while allowing itself to thrive on its own.

‘Test Screening’ Rating – 4/5

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