This Is Not a Test

by Mike McGranaghan

Much like the undead themselves, zombie movies never truly die. They just keep coming back. This Is Not a Test is the latest. It’s The Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead, and that general concept gives the movie a bit of freshness to match its gruesome horror.

A zombie outbreak has somehow occurred. Suicidal teen Sloane (Heart Eyes’s Olivia Holt), already dealing with an abusive father and an older sister who abandoned her, heads to the local high school to hide. Accompanying her are sensitive Rhys (Froy Gutierrez), jock Cary (Corteon Moore), tough guy Trace (Carson MacCormac), and hottie Grace (Chloe Avakian). There’s food in the cafeteria and medical supplies in the nurse’s office, so they feel set. Then they discover one of their teachers, Mr. Baxter (Luke Macfarlane), is also in the building and that safe feeling suddenly goes away.

Director Adam MacDonald knows how to generate suspense. His previous films Backcountry, Pyewacket, and Out Come the Wolves are all stylish and scary. Adapting Courtney Summers’ novel, he effectively establishes a cinematic small town, then unleashes hell within it. The sight of bloodthirsty zombies running down residential streets is eerie. MacDonald additionally zooms in on the tensions that arise between the characters, who often have conflicting ideas of how to proceed in their situation.

The heart of the movie isn’t the zombies, it’s the teens. This Is Not a Test explores the split-second moral decisions they must make in their efforts to survive. Despite having normal adolescent problems - and Sloane having even more than that - they’re forced to make life-altering choices far beyond their maturity level. For that reason, there’s a sadness that looms over everything. Sure, the jolts have an impact, but it’s the teens grappling with the repercussions of their actions that most sticks with you.

Blood and gore are intense without being excessive. Each gnarly death is utilized to underline the threat of the zombie outbreak rather than for cheap grossout purposes. The young actors are very authentic in responding to the carnage. These characters seem like real teenagers, not cinematic caricatures or your garden variety fright flick denizens. Gutierrez is particularly impressive, doing work that will break your heart in a scene where Rhys reveals a personal pain.

This Is Not a Test isn’t the best or most harrowing undead chiller ever made. It has a distinct angle, though, and that gets the job done. You could even say it’s a coming-of-age tale with zombies. Adam MacDonald has drummed up another winner.

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