The film, written by and starring Brock Yurich, introduces audiences to Eddie, a young bodybuilder in small-town Ohio. While his exterior is meticulously sculpted for competition, his inner life is a landscape of turmoil, shaped by repressed same-sex desires, religious guilt, and the pressure from his overbearing mother (played by Emmy-winner Tammy Blancard).
For Yurich, an out actor who has a background in bodybuilding himself, the film is a personal project that was a decade in the making. He told industry publication Variety that while the process was long and difficult, "the pain of giving up on it would be far greater." This personal investment aims to bring a layer of authenticity to the story, exploring what happens when the exterior one perfects is at war with the interior.
Directed by Sam McConnell, the story follows Eddie's precarious balancing act. He cares for his devout mother and secretly works as a camboy to make ends meet. When he begins training with a new coach, Mike (played by real-life fitness coach Mike Edward), he develops unexpected feelings that threaten to unravel the life he has carefully constructed. The cast also includes Matthew Morrison (Glee) as a pastor, adding to the theme of religious shame that weighs on Eddie.
"We designed Test to feel like an authentic peek behind the curtain," McConnell shared with Variety. "I found the character of Eddie to be so compelling—he is on a mission to perfect his exterior at the same time his interior is crumbling around him."
The film's first teaser trailer suggests a tense, emotional drama that examines the fragility hidden beneath a hyper-masculine facade.
Test is scheduled for its world premiere at SXSW London on June 3, followed by screenings at the Provincetown International Film Festival and San Francisco's Frameline50 later in the month. A wider release, including potential dates for the Netherlands, has not yet been announced.
