10 Great Movies That Had AWFUL Test Screenings
8. A Quiet Place
Test screening effects-heavy films is always extremely challenging, because it requires preview audiences to appreciate that the effects included in the test screening are a work-in-progress, and the end result will look significantly better.
John Krasinski found this out the hard and admittedly hilarious way when he test-screened A Quiet Place without any substantial VFX in place.
On set, the monsters were all portrayed by Krasinski himself in a grey motion capture suit, and so test audiences couldn't help but laugh every time Krasinski showed up in a leotard and skulked around as the creatures.
It didn't help that Krasinski's Vans sneakers were reportedly even visible in some shots, making it incredibly difficult for the audience to suspend their disbelief.
After this test screening left the audience more amused than terrified, the decision was made to pull the film from further tests and focus instead on finishing the visual effects.
It was clearly the right call as there was nothing wrong with the movie - it simply shouldn't have been test-screened without at least some passable temp VFX in place.
This news nevertheless prompted some fans to request that Krasinski release a cut of the movie without any monster effects, to which Krasinski semi-joked that it was "locked away in a vault... without a key."