Testament

1984 • 89 minutes
4.3
33 reviews
89%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

About this movie

Testament is the dramatic story of the aftermath of a nuclear attack. A nuclear strike has occurred. No one knows who did it. No one knows why. But the unthinkable has happened and nothing can ever be the same again. Jane Alexander stars as Carol Wetherly, a wife and a mother of three children. William Devane portrays her husband, away on a San Francisco trip during the devastating blast. Alone, Carol must hold her family together and, helplessly, she must watch her loved ones become victims of the deadly invisible radiation. A powerfully written and sensitive script, you will feel deeply for each character as they struggle to face and survive the future.
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.3
33 reviews
Alexander Bayden
May 2, 2014
I don't think the portrayal of nuclear war is accurate. 1) During the nuclear strike the light is blinking. In reality it just slowly fades. There was no sound minutes after the explosion, but I guess they were not shooting that scene that long. 2) Nobody tells local authorities to warn people to stay away from the fallout. In fact, nobody does anything to stay away from radiation. If you simply do not walk outside for no good reason and stay in the basement, or at least on the first floor, as opposed to right under the roof, you will receive a significantly lower dose of radiation. 3) A lot of people would have been complaining about the lack of medication like insulin and medication to lower blood pressure. 4) Nuclear blast radiation quickly degrades after the blast. Most people would have died about 5 days after the initial exposure of GI problems or three weeks after the exposure of infectious disease. A month after the blast hardly any radiation is left. Hair will not fall out. You might still die of infectious disease. 5) No one really knew what has happened. Neural countries would have figured it out, and a guy with the radio would have learned it.
Did you find this helpful?
Jessica Santos L.E.
March 19, 2016
This has to be one of the most heartbreaking movies I've ever seen yet so real. This could be any of us at any moment. This could easily be our world yet we take each day for granted. Very touching and will definitely have you thinking about all sorts of stuff. Its a survival movie but it's also a love story & a story about courage, strength and all things being a mother makes you.
Did you find this helpful?
LadyMel
September 11, 2018
I was in high school in the 80s when this movie was shown on PBS. We had anti nuke activists doing classroom presentations, and we were freshly terrified by ABC's The Day After, along with PBS' Threads. Testament focused on the aftermath of a nuclear conflict as it affected those who were not part of the blast zone. Sad, depressing, thought provoking, yes. Could this still happen, yes. This film is as relevant today as it was 30+ years ago.
Did you find this helpful?

Rate this movie

Tell us what you think.