The Beta Test (2021)
One of the brightest points of the film industry within the past decade has been the rise of fresh new faces bringing inspired takes and perspectives to the big screen. Joining the long list of names undeniably is Jim Cummings who found massive recognition in 2018 for his near masterpiece Thunder Road which he adapted from his own 2016 short film of the same name. Since then, Cummings has found mixed results with his follow up feature The Wolf of Snow Hollow and now pairs as co-director with the young PJ McCabe for The Beta Test. Screening as part of the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival, The Beta Test is meant as a commentary on modern Hollywood politics as a toxic Hollywood agent (Jim Cummings) becomes caught up in a world of lies and deceit.
The story of Cummings's career post Thunder Road seems to be one of lesser returns. Every feature feels less fun and poignant than the last with The Beta Test easily being the worst feature of his recent string of releases. No other problem within the film feels quite as bad as Cummings himself. Cummings has crafted a specific lens for his performances which are over the top to the point of parody. Naturally, the effectiveness of these type of performances have grown less and less as the audience has seen more and more of them but specifically within The Beta Test, Cummings feels completely miscast. The toxic masculinity of his character Jordan is incredibly undercut by Cummings and his pursuits of comedy. There is simply no evolution from Cummings in front of the camera which feels frustrating and boring. In Thunder Road, it felt like the audience could be witnessing one of the best new actors of the industry but now it feels as if he is simply going through the motions.
This lackluster execution of serious themes might have hurt The Wolf of Snow Hollow but in The Beta Test is is incredibly off-putting considering the serious context of the conversation it is having. While The Wolf of Snow Hollow felt off-putting once one looked at the smaller conversation within it when it came to violence against women on screen, The Beta Test defines itself by the themes not that far off of the #MeToo movement which is still an active problem within modern Hollywood. To take that story and those themes and reduce them to cheap satire feels near vile. Ultimately, the film feels as if it has nothing of actual value to say or give to the audience, proving that Cummings's disappointing lack of inspiration and craft exists both on and off screen. While it is impossible to tell what from the film to attribute to Cummings and PJ McCabe who also works as a screenwriter on the film, this feels rather in-line with the trajectory felt within The Wolf of Snow Hollow so to blame this on McCabe feels unfair.
Similar to The Wolf of Snow Hollow, The Beta Test feels sadly cheap in how it deals with its social commentary. Simply bringing a topic up isn't equivalent to actually doing it justice or having something of value to say. The film plays innocently ignorant which feels like something that needs to be discussed and criticized, not celebrated and ignored. Even if the comedy of the film works for some, it undeniably plays badly off of the characters and venom that the film embraces with its world really becoming a troubling feature. The comedy isn't smart and the social commentary isn't needed, instead it simply exists as a hollow exterior for the film to play in. The film also confusingly tries to bring in an uncanny world of secrets and mystery painting a version of Los Angeles stylistically somewhat similar to that seen in much better films such as Under the Silver Lake but the lack of craft fails this side of the film also.
The Beta Test is a frustrating film. A clear lack of craft and substance lets the film down yet the film shows no signs of worry or concern by this. It attempts to go through the motions of a comedy but feels boring and empty as a result. When put into the social context of the subject of the film, this turns from disappointing to gross. Any hope for Cummings living up to the potential seen within Thunder Road seems to have died with now 2 lackluster and off-putting features in a row. Hopefully he can turn things around but there seems to be no sign of inspiration or life from him or his features to suggest that this is on the horizon.
The story of Cummings's career post Thunder Road seems to be one of lesser returns. Every feature feels less fun and poignant than the last with The Beta Test easily being the worst feature of his recent string of releases. No other problem within the film feels quite as bad as Cummings himself. Cummings has crafted a specific lens for his performances which are over the top to the point of parody. Naturally, the effectiveness of these type of performances have grown less and less as the audience has seen more and more of them but specifically within The Beta Test, Cummings feels completely miscast. The toxic masculinity of his character Jordan is incredibly undercut by Cummings and his pursuits of comedy. There is simply no evolution from Cummings in front of the camera which feels frustrating and boring. In Thunder Road, it felt like the audience could be witnessing one of the best new actors of the industry but now it feels as if he is simply going through the motions.
This lackluster execution of serious themes might have hurt The Wolf of Snow Hollow but in The Beta Test is is incredibly off-putting considering the serious context of the conversation it is having. While The Wolf of Snow Hollow felt off-putting once one looked at the smaller conversation within it when it came to violence against women on screen, The Beta Test defines itself by the themes not that far off of the #MeToo movement which is still an active problem within modern Hollywood. To take that story and those themes and reduce them to cheap satire feels near vile. Ultimately, the film feels as if it has nothing of actual value to say or give to the audience, proving that Cummings's disappointing lack of inspiration and craft exists both on and off screen. While it is impossible to tell what from the film to attribute to Cummings and PJ McCabe who also works as a screenwriter on the film, this feels rather in-line with the trajectory felt within The Wolf of Snow Hollow so to blame this on McCabe feels unfair.
Similar to The Wolf of Snow Hollow, The Beta Test feels sadly cheap in how it deals with its social commentary. Simply bringing a topic up isn't equivalent to actually doing it justice or having something of value to say. The film plays innocently ignorant which feels like something that needs to be discussed and criticized, not celebrated and ignored. Even if the comedy of the film works for some, it undeniably plays badly off of the characters and venom that the film embraces with its world really becoming a troubling feature. The comedy isn't smart and the social commentary isn't needed, instead it simply exists as a hollow exterior for the film to play in. The film also confusingly tries to bring in an uncanny world of secrets and mystery painting a version of Los Angeles stylistically somewhat similar to that seen in much better films such as Under the Silver Lake but the lack of craft fails this side of the film also.
The Beta Test is a frustrating film. A clear lack of craft and substance lets the film down yet the film shows no signs of worry or concern by this. It attempts to go through the motions of a comedy but feels boring and empty as a result. When put into the social context of the subject of the film, this turns from disappointing to gross. Any hope for Cummings living up to the potential seen within Thunder Road seems to have died with now 2 lackluster and off-putting features in a row. Hopefully he can turn things around but there seems to be no sign of inspiration or life from him or his features to suggest that this is on the horizon.