The Beta Test

The Beta Test is a 2021 dark comedy thriller film written and directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe.[4] It follows a talent agent whose life is turned upside-down after taking part in a secret sex pact; Cummings and McCabe star alongside Virginia Newcomb and Jessie Barr.

The Beta Test
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Jim Cummings
  • PJ McCabe
Produced by
  • Natalie Metzger
  • Matt Miller
  • Benjamin Wiessner
Starring
  • Jim Cummings
  • PJ McCabe
  • Virginia Newcomb
  • Jessie Barr
CinematographyKenneth Wales
Edited byJim Cummings
Music byJeffrey Campbell Binner
Production
companies
  • Vanishing Angle
  • DiffeRant Productions
  • Sons of Rigor Films
Distributed byIFC Films
Release date
  • March 1, 2021 (2021-03-01) (Berlinale)
  • November 5, 2021 (2021-11-05) (United States)
Running time
93 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$250,000[1]
Box office$37,539[2][3]

The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on March 1, 2021 and was released in the United States on November 5, 2021. It received positive reviews from critics.

Premise

A soon-to-be married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data.

Cast
  • Jim Cummings as Jordan Hines
  • Virginia Newcomb as Caroline Gates
  • PJ McCabe as PJ
  • Jessie Barr as Lauren
  • Kevin Changaris
  • Olivia Grace Applegate
  • Christian Hillborg
  • Malin Barr as Annie
  • Jacqueline Doke as Jaclyn
  • Wilky Lau as Raymond Lee

Production

Filming wrapped in December 2019 and post-production was done remotely throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Release

The film premiered at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival. IFC Films acquired U.S. distribution rights in March 2021 and set it for a November 5, 2021 wide release in the United States.[6] It had its North American premiere at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2021, in the Viewpoints section.[7]

It was invited to screen at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, in July 2021, competing in Bucheon Choice Features section.[8]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "A darkly amusing thriller that discomfits as it entertains, The Beta Test satirizes Hollywood with savage flair."[9] According to Metacritic, which sampled 18 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that "The film's elements don't mesh as seamlessly as they should have", and added that the film "is almost too ambitious, tucking a surfeit of ideas into its heightened surrealist mindscape. Yet the movie, at its best, can hold you in its grip."[11] Jordan-Luke McDonald, writing for Get Your Comic On, wrote that "once the film latches onto your attention in those first moments, it will hold on to it tightly until the very final frame" since "the unforgiving hysteria and frenetic energy conjure an aura that almost feels like an unending fever dream, absorbing the viewer into its bizarrity."[12]

References
  1. "The Beta Test (2021) – Review: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe Have Crafted an Excellent Stress Comedy". October 23, 2021.
  2. "The Beta Test (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  3. "The Beta Test (2021)". The Numbers. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  4. Rubin, Rebecca (24 June 2020). "Vanishing Angle Sets Jim Cummings Thriller 'The Beta Test' as Next Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  5. Miska, Brad (24 June 2020). "Real-Life Hollywood Battle Turns to Horror in 'The Beta Test'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  6. Lang, Brent (22 March 2021). "IFC Films Buys Jim Cummings Thriller 'The Beta Test' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  7. "The Beta Test | 2021 Tribeca Festival".
  8. "Bucheon Choice: Feature". Bifan. July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  9. "The Beta Test (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  10. "The Beta Test Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  11. Gleiberman, Owen (6 March 2021). "'The Beta Test' Review: Jim Cummings Rivets as a Hollywood Agent in a Twilight Zone of Temptation". Variety. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  12. McDonald, Jordan-Luke (2021-10-12). "THE BETA TEST (2021) Review". Get Your Comic On. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
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