Testament

PG

Released Nov 4, 1983

1 hr. 29 min.

Drama

List

89%

46 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

It is just another day in the small town of Hamlin until something disastrous happens. Suddenly, news breaks that a series of nuclear warheads has been dropped along the Eastern Seaboard and, more locally, in California. As people begin coping with the devastating aftermath of the attacks -- many suffer radiation poisoning -- the Wetherly family tries to survive. Led by mom Carol (Jane Alexander), the clan tries to support each other even as they take in other stranded survivors.

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Critics Consensus

Testament shrugs off budget limitations to tell a powerful story that anchors nuclear paranoia in one family's harrowing ordeal.

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Jeffrey P

Be forewarned, it is rated PG and it was the 80's. Not as horrifying but it does develop into a very grim potential reality. This is a good example of how civil people should and would deal with a nuclear attack. It is a tad on the slower and softer side but, honestly, that is how it should be if people are handling the situation in a civil manner... because it is right to take a knee when facing the onslaught of a neverending overwhelming burden.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The end of the world feels like something out of the Bible; Old Testament Armageddon stuff For this family that's what it feels like Starring Jane Alexander, William Devane, and Kevin Costner In the town of Hamelin, San Francisco we focus on the Weatherly family Carol and Tom have 3 kids making it through the hectic day Then one afternoon the unthinkable happens; a state of emergency is declared on television that America has just been struck by a nuclear crisis The West Coast faces a holocaust and the Weatherlys have to hold up together to survive But how much time do they have? What about the other neighbors? It's bad enough communications are cut off, there's no lab equipment to measure radiation levels or to know what side effects are taking effect This definitely has everyone on edge 'Testament' makes sense given it was released during the age of nuclear war, America was afraid of our government pushing the doomsday button frequently This film deals with the fear of anxiety and the unseen instilling it Director Lynne Littman definitely portrays the unraveling of society and peoples despair from the aftermath of disaster And considering all the conflicts going on right now with Ukraine and Israel it feels more terrifying highlighting people's vulnerability no matter what age or status This acts more of a character drama than an apocalyptic action film being more emotionally intimate We see how the fallout takes its toll on the townspeople; one scene in particular is truly saddening It's more about what is happening as opposed to the how and why The Weatherlys do all they can to hold onto whatever hope remains I won't lie this is a heartbreaking watch seeing many of these players slowly dwindling away Yet it acts as a true tragedy about manners; how we might act toward one another, how our values stand up, in the face of an overwhelming catastrophe

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/04/23

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Jessica A

It had so much potential to be so much better. Also some better make up effect on radiation illness could have been better. If you're after a good nuclear holocaust, The Day After is much better.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/23/22

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justin t

This is scary stuff. The fear of not knowing is very powerful. This is a family story of nuclear war. That is very scary indeed. This is not graphic in its depiction of the end of civilisation. It just shows a few people coping the best that they can. It would be so tough and I hope that no-one ever has to go through it for real.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

jack s

I saw Testament for the first time when it originally aired on PBS decades ago. After a recent second viewing, I believe it has lost none of it's devastating impact. There's one heartbreaking scene after another as one family struggles to deal with an unthinkable disaster. Alexander, as a mom bravely fighting for her family's survival under unimaginable circumstances, is simply unforgettable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Testament is probably the least bombastic and explosive film about the aftermaths of nuclear war you'll ever see. What we are presented with instead is a deeply intimate and poignant family/small town drama centred around the Oscar-nominated lead performance from Jane Alexander. The film is set in the small town of Hamelin in California which manages to remain unscathed when nuclear bombs rain down on the major cities in the US. The townsfolk count themselves lucky to have survived the attacks and attempt to bunch together to continue living their lives as normally as they can. Fairly quickly though the hopelessness and despair starts to seep in as the bodies start to pile up and the fallout and radiation from the bombs begins to take hold of the community. We never see the terrifying immediacy of mushroom cloud explosions, blown-out buildings or charred corpses we observed in films like The Day After and Threads, but Testament offers something more: the overwhelming despair of watching society disintegrate and fall apart in slow motion whilst accepting your own mortality in a seemingly empty future. This is one of the most sobering films made about the futility of nuclear warfare and the direction from Lynne Littman is stellar. She manages portray this story in a manner that doesn't come across preachy or voyeuristic. Definitely check this one out if you can.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Lynne Littman

Director

Jane Alexander

Carol Wetherly

William Devane

Tom Wetherly

Roxana Zal

Mary Liz Wetherly

Rossie Harris

Brad Wetherly

Lukas Haas

Scottie Wetherly

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Catherine Rambeau

Detroit Free Press

There's nothing impersonal about this movie. Nothing unbelievable, either, if you believe the human animal has a core of righteousness that can shine like a sun when everything else has been lost.

Rated: 8/10

May 10, 2021

Full Review

Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

[Testament] is a haunting, emotionally devastating movie.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 10, 2021

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

It's a simple and resourceful film and one that has been made with unmistakable conviction.

May 10, 2021

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

There is a fantastic intimacy to Testament, one that separates it from its contemporaries. The rural setting and geographical distance from any explosions create an eerily quiet and more insidious apocalypse.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 2, 2023

Full Review

JoAnn Rhetts

Charlotte Observer

Living an unspeakable nightmare from which there's no waking, [Alexander] suggests a resilient admirable core of humanity.

May 10, 2021

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Nancy Scott

San Francisco Examiner

Although Testament was made on a tiny budget (4750,000), the photography is of high quality and director, Lynne Littman has made excellent use of her limited resources.

Rated: 3/4

May 10, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

It is just another day in the small town of Hamlin until something disastrous happens. Suddenly, news breaks that a series of nuclear warheads has been dropped along the Eastern Seaboard and, more locally, in California. As people begin coping with the devastating aftermath of the attacks -- many suffer radiation poisoning -- the Wetherly family tries to survive. Led by mom Carol (Jane Alexander), the clan tries to support each other even as they take in other stranded survivors.

Director: Lynne Littman
Screenwriter: John Sacret Young
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, American Playhouse, Entertainment Events
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 4, 1983, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2017

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