Fri, Nov 5 / 7pm
Sat, Nov 6 / 7:45pm & 10pm
Sun, Nov 7 / 5:05pm
Wed, Nov 10 / 7pm
Thu, Nov 11 / 7pm
Tue, Nov 16 / 9pm
Thu, Nov 18 / 9pm
Directed by Jim Cummings
2021, USA/UK, 91 min
In the post-Weinstein era, the fragile Hollywood ecosystem of predatory talent agencies and investors is a house of cards teetering on collapse. Jordan Hines (Jim Cummings), an ambitious but struggling agent trying to preserve his way of life, receives an anonymous invitation to a no-strings sexual encounter. Obsessed with uncovering the people behind the letter, Jordan falls into a paranoid spiral as he becomes embroiled in a labyrinthine mess of murder, sex, and intrigue.
Anchored by Cummings’ performance—brimming with nervous energy, and a compulsive veneer of charisma—The Beta Test is effortlessly entertaining as it intertwines searing cultural and political commentary with its bombastic plot. Cummings, who also directed and wrote the film with co-star PJ McCabe, has crafted a darkly comic thriller that lambasts the corporate Hollywood male ego. – VIFF
