Written and Directed by Shatara Michelle Ford
Starring Brittany S. Hall, Will Brill, Gail Bean
Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hour 22 min
Now playing in virtual cinemas

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Content Warning: Rape, Trauma, Difficult discussions around assault

Test Pattern is a film that is beautiful, heartbreaking, and incredibly triggering. It is also incredibly important. Few films that deal with rape have been directed and written by women, let alone black women. Writer and director Shatara Michelle Ford adds her story to a realm that is rather lacking in her particular perspective making it all the more important. That being said this movie is difficult to get through and might be too much for some audiences. But if you want to see a well-crafted film that takes on rape in an interesting and realistic way, this is well worth your time.

The film follows Renesha (Brittany S. Hall), a young black professional woman, and her white tattoo artist partner Evan (Will Brill). You watch the two meet, fall in love, and eventually move in together. After Renesha’s first day at her new job she and a friend go out for drinks and meet two men. Her friend Amber (Gail Bean) is set to party and hook up with one of the men and Renesha is continually pressured to stay out, drink, and take drugs. She is then taken and raped by one of the men Mike (Drew Fuller). The next day she tries to tell her boyfriend what little she remembers and he insists that they go to the hospital and get her a rape kit. The task is not as easy as they expect and they are forced on an uncomfortable odessey all over Texas to find a hospital that will be able to administer the kit. However the longer the journey goes on, the more the fabric of their seemingly happy relationship beings to fray, and viewers are left to wonder what can be salvaged after such a traumatic experience.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how in-depth it goes into the difficulties in reporting a rape, getting the proper medical attention, and getting any sort of resolution. Realizing that not all hospitals are equipped to do the kit or even have any there, to begin with, is something that was infuriating to learn. The film also takes place in Texas, which makes it harder on the victim and the long process she must endure. Those scenes can be just as hard to watch as the scenes of rape. The film also does a great job in the way in which the rape is shot, making sure that the viewer is always in the shoes of the victim, never with the predator. Also, the choice of casting Drew Fuller as the rapist was such an interesting choice, a seemingly nice guy with a nice face (whom I had a crush on back in his Charmed days) is a reminder that rape can occur no matter how the person may act or look. This has been a recent trend that seems to push away from the days when rapists were typically shown as poor, uneducated, or just plain creepy.

The film looks incredible and cinematographer Ludovica Isidori shot one of my favorite horror shorts called The Fourth Wall. It is so refreshing to see a film that has so many women and POC folks both in front of and behind the scenes. It is also very well edited with interesting cuts from scene to scene. The combination of editing and music makes this feel like a mesmerizing experience even with its difficult content. There are moments that feel like they would be comedic under different circumstances but because they are played so straight they create very interesting and complex emotions to come up when watching. This is another film that shows how essential the female eye is within the film world. Sometimes going down a journey like this is painful, but it feels better when you know the right creative team was there to guide you through it.

Of course, the acting of both of the leads is so important. At the beginning of the film where Renesha and Evan are meeting and falling in love, it is so adorable to watch. Which makes the rest of the film so impactful. Even with so much love and communication a traumatic moment like this inevitably affects both parties, making it difficult for even the best couple to find a way to navigate. Evan is portrayed as such a loving and caring partner but then you see how the incident makes him controlling and tries to make most of the decisions for Renesha. Making it feel that even after the rape she has little control over her body. Brittany S. Hall is in a fun horror comedy called You Might Be the Killer so it was wonderful to see her play a starkly different character and make me appreciate the range that this actor has. Her performance as Renesha is so impactful. There are so many moments when she seems so utterly alone and in need of support that she is not getting from her partner. Even seeing how she processes the trauma over the few days is compelling and real.

Ultimately the film focuses on the few days before and after her rape so there is not necessarily the satisfying conclusion that the audience might want for the characters. But this dissatisfaction feels intentional and makes a powerful statement, oftentimes there are not satisfying endings to these stories. There are weeks, months, and years of work that can go into processing and working through this trauma. All one can do at the end of the film is hope that Renesha is able to find the support and healing she needs, like so many real survivors out there. Also, shout out to Amani Starnes who plays Nurse Peg. I hope that anyone who goes through this process has a Nurse Peg in their lives.