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.

“The Beta Test is a furtive satire of Hollywood corruption, a libidinous thriller about how the treacherous risks of adultery have been magnified by #MeToo and the age of digital tracking, and a nightmare of Internet consumerism run amok.”—Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Friday, October 1
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm