Beta Test

USA • 2016 • 88m •

• Directed by: Nicholas Gyeney. • Starring: Manu Bennett, Larenz Tate, Linden Ashby, Kevon Stover, Brandy Kopp, Sara Coates, Yuji Okumoto, Edward Michael Scott, Edi Zanidache, Bill Sorice, Stefan Hajek, Adrien Gamache, Mark Riccardi. • Music by: Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Anthony Valcic.

While testing the latest first person shooter from global game developer, Sentinel, video game champion Max Troy discovers the events happening within the game are being reflected in the real world. He soon determines that the game's protagonist is real-life Orson Creed, an ex-Sentinel employee who is being remotely controlled by the corporation for reasons unknown. As virtual and real worlds collide, Max and Creed must join forces to unravel the conspiracy before the game's sinister events escalate and overwhelm the city.

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Trailer

2:13

Review:

Okay having actually seen a bit more (not a lot) than your average viewer about this film I'd love to point out the fact that a lot of the stereotypes in the film are meant to be there. The 80's action thug, the damsel in distress, the reluctant hero. I feel like knowing this may change the way the film comes across when watching it. My very first reaction to the film, before reading any other reviews is as follows:

"Oh man. Okay, there were a few really good scenes, but for some reason, Linden (ah Kincaid?) Eating popcorn while watching everything on monitors really stood out to me as being brilliant. I got super emotional about the school shooting bit. It would have been cool to know more about that kid. Wasn't a huge fan of Kane... he just seemed too much like he'd stepped out of an 80's action movie (unless that's how he's meant to be because in that case. On point) them putting the device in someone else's head was well written, although somewhat predictable. Max is a really great character that I thought was easy to empathise with. Him and phone girl were surprisingly cute. I found that, despite the fact I'm meant to, I really didn't care much for Abby... like obviously I didn't want her to get hurt or die but it was like...it was like when Max is playing the game at the start before he knows what's going on. Speaking of the game play the overlaying of the footage was amazing and really gave extra depth to the film. I thought the beginning and ending parallels between Max and Kincaid were intriguing." I'll stand by this, apparently according to some other reviews the graphics weren't actually that well done, but I'll let people make their own judgments on that. I'm not saying everything in the film was great, far from it, overall it probably needs a decent amount of tidying up. The storyline was somewhat predictable in some parts and even perhaps nonsensical in others but I still had a fun enough time watching everything unfold. And DAMN! TECH! SUPPORT! hands down one of the best parts of the whole film.

Also, I'm not going to lie, the line about "I've retired from violence...I guess we'll call this a cheat day" was so incredibly cheesy and glorious I'm not even mad about anything else.

So to break it down. The movie is what 83 minutes. That isn't that long so it's definitely not a huge waste of time even if you hate it and if you do, you can turn it off and not watch something else instead.

Review by saurniexperimental from the Internet Movie Database.