You’ve probably seen the poster. A sleek, white, robotic face that looks a little too much like a high-end appliance gone rogue. The Alpha Test is one of those indie sci-fi horror flicks that creates a weirdly specific itch. It’s low budget. It’s gritty. It’s got that indie spirit where you can tell the creators were working with what they had, and honestly, it kinda works. But if you’re looking at the cast of The Alpha Test, you might realize you don’t recognize every name immediately, and that’s actually part of the charm.
Low-budget sci-fi relies heavily on the physical presence of its actors. Without $100 million in CGI, the human element—or the "robot" element—has to carry the weight. Directed by Aaron Mirtes, the film leans into a "Black Mirror" style anxiety about home automation. It’s about Alpha, a home assistant robot that finally has enough of the family’s toxic behavior.
Meet the Key Players: The Cast of The Alpha Test
The heart of the movie is Alpha.
Rae Hunt plays the titular character, and let’s be real, playing a robot is a thankless job that is incredibly hard to pull off. You have to be stiff but not wooden. You need to be eerie but believable. Rae Hunt manages to bring a physical stillness to Alpha that makes the eventual "glitch" into violence feel earned. She isn't just a voice; she’s the physical manifestation of our fear that our gadgets are judging us. Because, in this movie, they totally are.
Then you have the family. They are, to put it mildly, not great people. But they represent the "everyday" cruelty that small-scale horror thrives on.
Wynn Reichert plays JD. Reichert brings a veteran presence to the set. If you recognize him, it’s likely from a string of character roles in projects like The Death of Dick Long or The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot. He’s a "that guy" actor—the kind of face you know you’ve seen in a dozen indie productions. In this film, he provides a grounded sense of reality to a household that is rapidly falling apart.
Alice Raver takes on the role of Kim. Her performance is vital because the movie hinges on the dynamic between the creators/users and the machine. Raver has worked with Mirtes before, notably in Curse of the Nun. There is a shorthand between a director and an actor when they’ve worked together multiple times, and you can see that comfort here.
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Supporting Roles and the Family Dynamic
The rest of the household is filled out by Brad Belemjian and Mack Bayda.
Belemjian is a frequent collaborator in the "Mirtes-verse," appearing in American Hunt and Ouija Craft. He plays the son, and his interactions with Alpha are basically a masterclass in how not to treat AI if you want to live through the night. It’s that bratty, entitled energy that makes the audience secretly (or not so secretly) root for the robot.
Mack Bayda plays Lily. While her filmography is still growing, her role in the cast of The Alpha Test serves as the emotional pivot point. In horror, you always need someone who feels slightly more "human" than the rest, just so the stakes feel real when the screaming starts.
Why the Casting Choices Matter for Indie Sci-Fi
Look, we have to talk about the budget. When you’re making a movie like this, you aren't calling A-list stars. You’re calling reliable Nashville-based actors (where much of this was filmed) who can show up, hit their marks, and sell the high-concept premise.
The genius of using actors like Rae Hunt or Brad Belemjian is that they don't bring the baggage of a massive celebrity persona. When you see a famous face, you think, "Oh, that’s so-and-so." When you see this cast, you just see the characters. It makes the claustrophobic setting of the house feel more like a real home and less like a movie set.
The Challenge of Playing Alpha
Imagine wearing a plastic mask and a bodysuit for hours.
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That’s what Rae Hunt had to do. Most of her performance is communicated through head tilts and posture. It’s reminiscent of Doug Jones (the guy who played the creature in The Shape of Water), though obviously on a different scale. The cast of The Alpha Test had to react to a static face. That’s hard for an actor. If your scene partner isn't giving you facial expressions, you have to do all the heavy lifting for the emotional beats.
Alice Raver and Wynn Reichert do a lot of that heavy lifting. They treat the robot as a piece of furniture until it becomes a threat, and that transition is where the tension lives.
Comparing the Ensemble to Similar Genre Hits
If you like this cast, you probably enjoy the vibe of movies like The Machine or even the more polished M3GAN.
The difference is the grit. The cast of The Alpha Test feels like people you might actually know. They aren't "movie-star pretty" in a way that feels fake. They look like a family that spends too much time staring at screens and not enough time talking to each other.
Aaron Mirtes has a knack for finding actors who fit his specific brand of "high-concept/low-resource" filmmaking. He’s built a bit of a repertory theater company. By using the same actors across different films, he creates a sense of continuity in his work.
The Technical Reality: Behind the Scenes
It’s worth noting that the film was produced by High Octane Pictures. They specialize in these kinds of "concept-first" movies.
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When you look at the cast of The Alpha Test, you’re seeing a snapshot of the independent film industry in the Southeast United States. This isn't Hollywood; it's a group of dedicated creatives making something out of nothing.
- Rae Hunt (Alpha): Also appeared in The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
- Wynn Reichert (JD): A seasoned pro with over 50 credits to his name.
- Brad Belemjian: A staple of indie horror who often plays the "love-to-hate" characters.
- Alice Raver: Brings a theatrical background that helps ground the more absurd moments of the plot.
Is it Worth a Watch Based on the Acting?
Honestly? Yeah.
If you go in expecting Ex Machina, you’ll be disappointed. But if you go in wanting a mean-spirited, clever little thriller, the cast of The Alpha Test delivers. They sell the "uncanny valley" aspect perfectly.
The movie explores the idea that robots learn from us. If we are cruel, they will be cruel. If we are violent, they will be violent. The actors play the "cruel human" roles so well that when Alpha finally snaps, it feels like a logical conclusion rather than a random plot twist.
Actionable Takeaways for Indie Film Fans
If you're interested in the people behind this movie or want to see more from the cast of The Alpha Test, here’s how you can follow their work and understand the genre better:
- Check the "Mirtes-verse": If you liked the chemistry here, watch American Hunt or The Grindhouse Radio. You'll see many of the same faces in completely different roles, which is a fun exercise in seeing how much range these indie actors actually have.
- Look for Regional Credits: Many of these actors work heavily in the Tennessee and Georgia film circuits. If you're an aspiring filmmaker, looking at the career paths of Wynn Reichert or Alice Raver is a great way to see how "working actors" build a career outside of Los Angeles.
- Study the "Physicality": For those interested in acting, pay close attention to Rae Hunt’s movements. Playing a non-human entity requires a specific type of discipline that is often overlooked in favor of dialogue-heavy roles.
- Support Independent Scifi: Smaller films live and die by their digital footprint. If you enjoyed the performances, leaving a specific review mentioning the actors on platforms like IMDb or Letterboxd actually helps these performers land their next gig.
The cast of The Alpha Test might not be household names yet, but they represent the backbone of the genre film industry. They take wild, sometimes "out there" scripts and give them a heartbeat. Whether it’s the cold, calculated movements of the robot or the panicked screams of the family, the performances are what turn a simple "robot gone bad" story into a memorable piece of indie cinema.
To dive deeper into the world of Aaron Mirtes and his ensemble, look for behind-the-scenes interviews on YouTube or through the DVD extras. Seeing the actors out of character—especially Rae Hunt without the mask—gives you a whole new appreciation for the work that went into creating Alpha. This isn't just a movie about a machine; it's a testament to what a small, dedicated group of actors can achieve on a limited budget.