THIS IS NOT A TEST: 3 STARS. “brings some life to this story of the undead.”
SYNOPSIS: In “This is Not a Test,” a new zombie movie starring Olivia Holt, and now playing in theatres, a small group of high school students take cover in their high school as their hometown is overrun with zombies.
CAST: Olivia Holt, Luke Macfarlane, Froy Gutierrez, Carson MacCormac, Corteon Moore, Joelle Farrow, Chloe Avakian, Jeff Roop. Directed by Adam MacDonald.
REVIEW: Based on Courtney Summers’ YA novel of the same name, the 1990s-set “This Is Not a Test” is a bloody mix-and-match of” The Breakfast Club” and “Night of the Living Dead.”
When we first meet Sloane (Olivia Holt) her family life is a mess. Her older sister is about to move out, leaving her at the mercy of her abusive family. In despair, she contemplates taking her own life, but before she can act on her suicidal thoughts, a zombie apocalypse grips her town. “This is not a test,” says a radio reporter. “Lock all doors and cover all windows. If you encounter anyone you suspect to be infected, do not attempt to assist them.”
Heading for cover, Sloane and a small group of classmates hide out in the local high school. As death and destruction closes in, Sloane’s survival instincts kick in, giving her a new lease on life.
“This is Not a Test” does not scrimp on the zombie action. Those scenes are visceral, bloody and nasty and deliver the kind of undead violence you expect from a zombie apocalypse movie.
More interesting than the gooey, gory stuff, however, is the dynamic between Sloane and her classmates.
Sloane’s dilemma is the film’s most interesting psychological twist. How does one summon the will to survive when they think they have nothing to live for? It’s a compelling arc for a main zombie flick character and Holt transcends a scream queen performance to give Sloane layers.
Like the others she has no survival skills, but while they are scared and becoming desperate, Holt differentiates Sloane in a risky performance that relies on quietness and emotional detachment as much as it does her action scenes.
“This is Not a Test” has some pacing problems, and some clunky dialogue, but Holt and co-star Luke Macfarlane, as a skeevy English teacher, help bring some life to this story of the undead.
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