Updated Review - 10/10/2023
Cooper partakes in an experimental horror game that generates his deepest fears from within through an augmented reality implant. Once his rationality proves otherwise, the program turns real and throws him into the ultimate nightmare simulation that's over before it even begins.
This is Wyatt Russell's most notable performance in recent memory. The pacing lingers at times and certain scenes feel dragged out to build as much suspense for the next scare. In one instance they even called out the jump scare before it had a chance to be effective. There isn't anything particularly horrifying here besides the idea of losing your mind with each passing second.
Playtest feels like an escape room experience at first, until it's revealed there's no way out. The "you can't scare me" attitude can only work for so long until there's nothing left except fear itself. It's a psychological horror that really breaks down the most terrifying experience someone can go through which is losing yourself from the inside out.
7/10
.
.
.
Review from 4/28/2019
Cooper Redfield travels the world, ignoring his mother's phone calls. He meets Sonja in London and she suggests he test video games for money to get home. He arrives at the SaitoGemu building and Katie has him sign a disclaimer. She turns off his phone, but she leaves the room and he turns it on and takes a picture of the technology he's testing.
They give Cooper a mushroom implant, allowing him to see augmented reality. He demos a whack-a-mole game and he meets Shou Saito. They upload a survival horror game that adapts to his real fears. He's brought to a mansion where his game begins.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also directed 10 Cloverfield Lane, does a great job of creating an intense atmosphere that had me on the edge of my seat. Wyatt Russell is great in the lead role as a laidback guy whose internal fears are fully exposed.
Playtest is a true horror episode. They dig deep into the human psyche, pulling out the most terrifying experiences someone could go through. Auditory hallucinations, questioning your own identity, disconnection and deception of loved ones and not knowing what is real or fake.
8/10.
Cooper partakes in an experimental horror game that generates his deepest fears from within through an augmented reality implant. Once his rationality proves otherwise, the program turns real and throws him into the ultimate nightmare simulation that's over before it even begins.
This is Wyatt Russell's most notable performance in recent memory. The pacing lingers at times and certain scenes feel dragged out to build as much suspense for the next scare. In one instance they even called out the jump scare before it had a chance to be effective. There isn't anything particularly horrifying here besides the idea of losing your mind with each passing second.
Playtest feels like an escape room experience at first, until it's revealed there's no way out. The "you can't scare me" attitude can only work for so long until there's nothing left except fear itself. It's a psychological horror that really breaks down the most terrifying experience someone can go through which is losing yourself from the inside out.
7/10
.
.
.
Review from 4/28/2019
Cooper Redfield travels the world, ignoring his mother's phone calls. He meets Sonja in London and she suggests he test video games for money to get home. He arrives at the SaitoGemu building and Katie has him sign a disclaimer. She turns off his phone, but she leaves the room and he turns it on and takes a picture of the technology he's testing.
They give Cooper a mushroom implant, allowing him to see augmented reality. He demos a whack-a-mole game and he meets Shou Saito. They upload a survival horror game that adapts to his real fears. He's brought to a mansion where his game begins.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also directed 10 Cloverfield Lane, does a great job of creating an intense atmosphere that had me on the edge of my seat. Wyatt Russell is great in the lead role as a laidback guy whose internal fears are fully exposed.
Playtest is a true horror episode. They dig deep into the human psyche, pulling out the most terrifying experiences someone could go through. Auditory hallucinations, questioning your own identity, disconnection and deception of loved ones and not knowing what is real or fake.
8/10.