Testament begins in the picture-perfect town of Hamelin, California. It’s a suburban paradise where Carol (Jane Alexander) lives with her three children and husband Tom (William Devane). It’s the kind of place where all the neighbors know each other, where greeting people with anything but a friendly smile and a wave would be unthinkable.
That all vanishes in the blink of an eye. One day, Carol sits at home with her children, listening to the answering machine messages while the kids watch TV. An urgent message appears on screen, claiming the East Coast of America has been besieged by nuclear bombs. A bright light engulfs the house, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Lynne Litman’s Testament is a terrifying movie, but not in the ways you’d expect. Though it focuses on a community destroyed by nuclear fallout, there is no flaming wreckage, massive explosions, or zombie-like people ravaged by radiation. Instead, it’s an extremely human focus on the slow, inevitable nature of dying. Though Hamelin itself isn’t destroyed, the radiation from surrounding areas is unavoidable. The community has no choice but to carry on and try to continue living in an increasingly inhospitable landscape.
If that sounds terrifying, well…it is. But Testament is also achingly, poignantly human. This is a film that’s far from a typical thriller or horror you might anticipate for a nuclear apocalypse movie (especially compared to something like Threads), and Litman avoids any conventions of horror/sci-fi. Instead, the unmistakable sense of dread comes from where your mind will wander to as you watch Testament. What would you do if your family was in this situation and bodies were all around you? It’s those questions that etch themselves inside your mind long after this brilliant movie ends. And now that Criterion has a wonderful new Blu-ray release of the film, it’s the best time to give this exceptional and singular approach to nuclear apocalypse a watch.
How was Testament Received Upon Release?
Testament was released on November 4, 1983. It performed well off of a small budget of $750,000, earning $2 million at the box office, impressive numbers for a limited release.
Among the most positive reviews was Roger Ebert, who was hugely impressed by the film, especially by Alexander and the film’s ending, saying, “Alexander’s performance makes the film possible to watch without unbearable heartbreak, because she is brave and decent in the face of the horror. And the last scene, in which she expresses such small optimism as is still possible, is one of the most powerful movie scenes I’ve ever seen.”
Ebert was not alone in his praise of Alexander. Her performance received plenty of commendation and even received a richly-deserved Academy Award nomination, though the award ultimately went to Shirley MacLaine for Terms of Endearment.
Why Is Testament Important to See Now?
Simply put: Testament is extraordinary. It’s unique in the way it represents unfathomable tragedy, somehow managing to offer a hint of optimism under the weight of such circumstances. The film doesn’t have special effects; instead, it exists in a startling plainness and naturalness that makes it unforgettable. Testament is so unnerving because it doesn’t feel like a reality that’s too far away, something perhaps truer now in 2026 than it was when Testament came out 43 years ago.
For fans of great performances, Jane Alexander delivers something truly exceptional here. Her Carol is our gateway into the town of Hamelin, and her narration (provided through diary entries) is harrowing, casually recounting details like how the bodies are piling up to the point that the graveyards are full, and other crushing effects of the radiation. It’s a performance of incredible restraint as well as a bracing vulnerability, and save for one (well-deserved) explosive moment, Alexander’s bravery is the heart of Littman’s film.
What New Features Does the Testament Blu-ray Have?
Testament’s supplement package is a tremendous one. The Blu-ray provides a fantastic gateway into Littman’s career, including four of her documentaries, including the feature-length In Her Own Time and the Oscar-winning documentary short Number Our Days. There’s also a recording of Alexander reading “The Last Testament,” the short story the film is based on. There’s also a new conversation between Littman and author Sam Wasson that touches on some of the film’s legacy and Littman’s career.
Here are the features below.
- New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Lynne Littman and director of photography Steven Poster, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- New conversation between Littman and author Sam Wasson
- Two documentaries by Littman, made in collaboration with anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff: Number Our Days (1976) and In Her Own Time (1985)
- “Testament” at 20 and Nuclear Thoughts, archival programs featuring interviews with cast and crew members and nuclear-science experts
- Audio recording of actor Jane Alexander reading the short story “The Last Testament,” on which the film is based
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by author and film curator Michael Koresky
