This Is Not A Test

This Is Not A Test Review: Another unfortunately weak & generic zombie film

Brighton Nelson

17 Feb 2026 — 4 min read

I didn't know anything about this film going in except that it's a horror film and that it shares a title with one of my favorite TobyMac tracks. The title was giving me death game vibes, so I was truly quite excited. However, I pretty quickly discovered that this was instead a rather standard, straightforward zombie film. When done well, though, there's nothing wrong with being a little formulaic. So, was this film done well? Does it break out of the mediocrity established by many previous films of the subgenre? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will discuss today. Thank you so much for joining me today, and I hope you enjoy this article!

I've seen quite a few people clown on the poster of this film, but I actually really liked it! It was probably my second favorite part of the movie! Haha.

The first thing I'd like to touch on is this film's integrity as an adaptation. As the author stated on Letterboxd and other platforms, it's a really faithful adaptation of the book! And, in general, it's a very competently made film. I haven't read the book myself, but I could tell that this wasn't one of those adaptations that ruined the book by making a bunch of obviously convoluted decisions during the script adaptation process. There's no doubt about it that this is a completely watchable, well-budgeted, well-produced flick.

However, all that being said, this film is as basic a teen zombie flick as you can be. Without a unique style or plot, it's simply really hard to call a film good, no matter how superficially competent it may be. I hate to diss on a project that obviously had a lot of passion poured into it. Yet, like with Iron Lung and The Mortuary Assistant, the story of this film really didn't lend itself to the big screen very well.

Olivia Holt really knows how to bring emotion to a character that was otherwise so passive and mediocre. A character this thin shouldn't be interesting, and it isn't, but the performance still is. If this word salad makes any sense, you're just as psycho as me.

With how much praise I've seen for the book, I'd have to assume the parts relating to Sloan's psyche and how they tie into the apocalypse as a coping mechanism must have been far more fleshed out in the book, because that's easily the most unique flair of the plot, yet it simply feels sidelined in the film. Instead of trying to get a grip on reality and, interestingly, face her fears, she just stands around as a passive, point-of-view character who contributes nothing to the survival cause. I really liked that this film tried to be a character-focused zombie film, but it simply didn't work since the characters were too thin.

That being said, actress Olivia Holt does an incredible job in the leading role here, especially given that her character does almost nothing and has very little to work with! Also, there are a few major standout scenes, with the opening zombie attacks having interesting action and gore. Additionally, there are a couple of scenes related to one of the characters' grief, their sister, and a gun that are hauntingly potent and easily the best part of a film that is otherwise rather by-the-numbers. If the rest of the film was that good, this would easily be a neo-classic in the zombie subgenre.

There were actually two or three gore moments in this film that got me. Then again, anytime skin is bitten off, I feel a little squeamish, so...

The Reel Ranker Verdict

Reel or Unreel? - Unreel
The Reel Ranker Score: 46%
Letter Score: C-
Star Ranking: 2.5 out of 5

This Is Not A Test may have great gore and a couple of solid moments, but it is otherwise a rather generic zombie film. It is competently made, has a solid foundation, and at least isn't an adaptation so unfaithful to the book that it is offensive; it's simply lacking a consistent quality necessary to make it worth recommending. Throughout the movie, I was just wishing I was instead listening to TobyMac's homonymous electronic CCM pop hit on repeat for 103 minutes.

Interested in checking out more of my horror opinions? Check out all of my horror reviews at the link below!