Adapted from the 2012 novel by Courtney Summers, This is Not a Test is the latest in a long line of cinematic offerings torn straight from the pages of young adult fiction. This one embraces its R-rating by leaning into the violence of a wild zombie outbreak. It has shades of 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake, but its character-first focus sets it apart from other movies of its ilk. The infected run ravenously, and one single bite will soon infect and transform the ultimate victim. Yet, the why and the how of the outbreak remain unexplained. Its zombies are almost a backdrop for the lead female character, Sloane, and her struggles with depression and abuse. Part coming-of-age character study, part bloody brutal fight for survival, This is Not a Test tears the flesh from this popular horror subgenre and swallows it whole.
Writer/director Adam Macdonald (Shudder’s Slasher, Pyewacket) wastes no time thrusting us into this intense world. Just before Sloane (Olivia Holt, Heart Eyes) has the opportunity to carry through with a suicide attempt, everything outside her house changes forever. Her alcoholic father ends up bitten by a crazed person dripping blood from the mouth, and Sloane promptly takes to the streets in a frantic freak out attempt to find survival. Sloane ends up in the company of a group of four fellow high schoolers, all of whom take shelter together in perhaps the only place that makes logical sense to them: their own high school. By shifting the action to this intimate setting pretty immediately, it becomes established as our central hub.
It takes a bit of time, but each major character has his or her own distinct personality that comes into play. Rhys (Froy Gutierrez, The Strangers: Chapter 1) connects most closely with Sloane, recounting having a locker diagonal from her during their time at Cortege High. He has strong opinions, and remains fiercely protective over Sloane whenever danger arises; Gutierrez brings a refreshing sweetness to Rhys. Twins Grace (Chloe Avakian, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy) and Trace (Carson MacCormac, Clown in a Cornfield) could not be more different from one another—Grace seems passionate, quietly developing relationships with most of the others, while Trace is confrontational and rebellious. Popular jock Cary (Corteon Moore, Terror Train) becomes the unsurprising group leader, helping to make vital decisions, and taking charge when it comes to barricading the high school. Comparisons to The Breakfast Club should not be much of a surprise, especially when a teacher, Mr. Braxton (Luke Macfarlane, Bros) comes into the fray.
As far as originality goes, This is Not a Test does not exactly break the mold, nor does it try. By focusing so heavily on Sloane, her desperate attempts to communicate with her sister, Lilly, and her struggles with even wanting to live in the first place, the smart script finds a clever way in through Sloane’s trauma. We may have seen zombie skulls bashed in and strips of flesh ripped from arms before, but has it ever been channeled through the lens of a protagonist on the edge of suicide? We spend the majority of time seeing the world through Sloane’s eyes, even revisiting some of her memories with Lilly. Holt is exceptional here, effortlessly reverting back to playing a high schooler in spite of recent roles. Her nuanced performance makes the heart of the film.
As far as the blood and gore is concerned, we do get quite a bit, and the brutal practical effects only highlight their ferocity. While used sparingly, it hurts when it arrives. Macdonald and his team do not surprise with wild kills or out-of-the-box bodily dismemberment, but they get the job done. The horror elements work as well as they do off the strength of the ensemble cast. Taking place in a high school while also dealing with high school students forced to make utterly impossible decisions provides an easy template rich with drama and horror. The setting in the late 90s also injects a healthy dose of nostalgia—peep those Y2K stickers on the computers! This is Not a Test delivers raw emotions wrapped in a grim package. Perhaps the real test comes with choosing to keep living rather than facing the perils of the decaying-alive corpses lurking just outside…
This is Not a Test—bloodthirsty zombie movie fanatics should shamble to theaters as quickly as they can, starting Friday, February 20th.
