‘I want to be young again…’
Jim Cummings has already marked himself out as one of the finest indie filmmakers on the scene with Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, the former of which I used with my Film Studies class as an example of truly captivating and courageous acting (seriously, if you haven’t at least seen the short film that eventually became Thunder Road, stop what you’re doing and watch it now). As an actor, Cummings has the ability to make you root for characters that you shouldn’t really be rooting for. As a writer/director he has previously gravitated towards taking a (just about) normal guy and placing him in extreme situations. The Beta Test goes further than either Thunder Road or Snow Hollow. Cummings’ protagonist here is even more unlikeable, the situation even more extreme. And yet, I still came out of it rooting for the guy…
Jordan (Cummings) is a fast talking Hollywood agent with anger issues who allows himself to be seduced and entrapped by a mysterious letter in a purple envelope. Already uptight and facing potential financial ruin, Jordan teeters on the edge of sanity as his life spirals out of control. His only confidante is his business partner PJ (PJ McCabe – who also co-writes and co-directs), and as if that weren’t enough, Jordan’s fiancé Caroline (Virginia Newcomb) knows that something is up.
So, an intriguing and prescient plot in an age when everyone is questioning what happens to their data. Cummings and McCabe play on this fear by demonstrating the paranoia that their protagonist feels once his inevitable guilt sets in. Or maybe it’s just a fear of being caught. Maybe there isn’t a difference? That is one of the many philosophical questions this movie poses throughout, building to an unforgettable climax that sees Cummings channel his inner Patrick Bateman for one of his now trademark monologues. The real target of Cummings and McCabe’s ire is not a fictional maniac like Bateman however, but rather the very real film execs and agents that have ruled over Hollywood forever. This film is a celebration that in a post-Weinstein world they can’t get away with that shit anymore (whilst also accepting that they will still try).
Elsewhere, Jordan’s business partner PJ is a little more restrained, but just as selfish, a contrast that McCabe plays to perfection, and Newcomb delivers a nuanced turn in a role that demands that much of her performance is delivered through disapproving facial expressions and a mounting desperation. While Cummings is as exceptional in front of the camera as ever, this really is an ensemble piece.
Despite having a seemingly bigger budget and definitely exploring bigger ideas, The Beta Test is certainly not Cummings bid for mainstream success. This is still an artist with something to say. Something weighty. And by sheer force of will, if he keeps making movies this good, he will eventually get the mainstream audience that he deserves.
To summarise, this is a daring and innovative film. As was Thunder Road and Snow Hollow. Don’t let this great body of work pass you by.