The Assessment

Great cast, beautiful set design and an uncompareable story. Very warmly recommended. Parenting, feminism, challenges of emotional boundaries, conflicts of not having a plan b for our planet.. complex topic brought together in a very beautiful way.. went to see the movie yesterday. It was clearly stunning to see this simple but still complex story of these 3 main characters. The vfx are implemented in a very subtle and not dominant way for a partly sci-fi movie such as The Assessment. I will for sure watch this movie again and again and cannot wait to see this movie in the short list for the oscars! Congrats!

Greetings again from the darkness. Authors and filmmakers have long used forecasting the future as the basis for stories. Some have been lighthearted and humorous ("The Jetsons", BACK TO THE FUTURE) and others are more bleak and dystopian (BLADE RUNNER, THE ROAD). The first feature film from director Fleur Fortune (well known for music videos) has some common DNA with the excellent CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) from director Alfonso Cuaron. Written by Neil Garfath Cox, Dave Thomas, and John Donnelly, this story shows us a future where having a kid is a privilege that must be bestowed by the government, rather than free choice.

Mia (Elizabeth Olsen, MARTHA MAY MARLENE, 2011) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel, YESTERDAY, 2019) have built a life and marriage in a desolate area. Mia has a greenhouse where she grows food, and Aaryan has a Virtual Reality room where he experiments with realistic innovations. Both are aiming to improve life of others. They believe that a missing link in their life is a child, and agree to go through the 'assessment' process. When Virginia (Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, THE DANISH GIRL, 2015) arrives, she explains that, as the assessor, her decision is the final word. Mia and Aaryan express that they will be "good parents". Virginia smiles and relays that everyone says that.

The assessment is a seven-day process and calling it bizarre definitely undersells it. At times, Virginia kicks into childlike mode, testing the parental instincts of Mia and Aaryan. It's during these segments where the story gets a bit ridiculous, despite Virginia's explanation that she needs full access to their emotions and reactions (and intimate methods). During a strange dinner party - set up by Virginia - we get discussions of the "old world" existence and the rumors associated with it.

Analysis of the psychology of folks during such times can be quite enlightening, but despite the intriguing concept, the execution leaves us a bit frustrated with the holes and goofy moments. The third act is especially confounding, although we completely understand Mia's quest for answers. Everything circles back to early on when Mia and Aaryan first ask Virginia, "Are we good enough?". We feel their desperation, but once we learn their catchphrase exchange, "I love you. That's right.", we know this isn't headed to unicorns and rainbows.

Opens on March 21, 2025.

The ideas explored in 'The Assessment' are undeniably intriguing, but their execution feels somewhat underdeveloped. The film introduces thought-provoking themes, yet it struggles to fully flesh them out, leaving the viewer yearning for more. Given its ambitious scope, a series format would have been a more suitable choice, allowing the narrative and its underlying concepts the space to evolve and breathe.

Watching the movie, I couldn't help but notice a trend in recent sci-fi productions-akin to what we see in 'Severance.' This contemporary style, while visually striking, often leans toward a cold, detached atmosphere, prioritizing sterile aesthetics over emotional resonance. While this approach has its merits in creating a sense of unease or dystopian detachment, it sometimes lacks the vibrancy and imperfections that make life feel truly authentic. There's a certain richness-the flawed beauty of human emotion, the unpredictability of real interactions-that seems to be fading from modern sci-fi. And perhaps that's the missing piece in 'The Assessment'-an opportunity to infuse a more organic, lived-in feeling that embraces both the intellectual and the emotional.

Given the rating that was 6.9 at the time, I expected much better than I received. In short, You're told that the world has split into two. One where the air is purified somehow and the old which was soiled. Almost nothing is told about this process and the film tries to stick to just one issue. People are limited to having no children unless given permission. An assessor will come to the house to determine whether a child may be produced. In comes Alicia vikander.

She then proceeds to act like a child for much of the rest of the movie. At times it is incredibly silly and not believable. The actors do a fantastic job in selling the concept, but but she goes in and out of character at times that you don't know which version she is and the characters are understandably confused. Some of the reactions of the adults supposedly treating a child are understandable because they aren't dealing with a child. The test is inherently itself, not fair but you're asked to go along with it. But there was one absolutely ridiculous test, in which the answer is blatantly obvious to everyone but the tested person. Perhaps they thought it was a good idea on paper but it was executed so painfully that it was difficult to watch. There are also many holes in this script.

Minnie driver steals the show in the one scene that she appears. But in the end, which is rushed badly, you get to find out some answers which is standard dystopia. I didn't find redeeming qualities about this film whatsoever. The moral of the story is raising children can be a difficult experience. And the rest of the science fiction element is completely unexplored. It's only there to create cool effects and provide a reason for the assessment.

I completely admire the fine performances by the actors. But this bit of silliness is 2 hours of time. I really wish I had back. If you're a fan of frilly artistic portrayal with lots of diversity as part of our future, you might appreciate this. But it is completely superficial.

The Assessment is a Sci-fi drama Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel as Mia and Aaryan, a couple who want a child in the future are given a 7 day test by an assessor,(Alicia Viklander) who make the test possible and if no slip ups occur a baby will be gifted, but the expected-to-be parents see that this is harder than they expected.

Given strength by strong acting and unique premise, The Assessment is something I didn't really expect plot-wise but I think it was made brilliantly. The film is set in a format of Days 1-7 and each one is as different and engaging as the other. Honestly I was expecting this to reuse sci-fi tropes from the past, but I got to say that this is so original and unexpected I think it was done super well! The way everything connects and what the couple have to do is portrayed so well to the point that this might be what the most likely cause of creating children will be in a effected world of climate change.

Performances do not disappoint, Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel were so good they probably could've been on their own with a entirely different plotline and it would have been just as captivating. But Alicia Viklander is also very good and to be honest, she's very good at the whole sci-fi genre and to see her here was a delight. Just everyone involved did their best and I really appreciate that with a film that doesn't really rely on CGI to be as creative as it is.

However, the film is graphic in some places in terms of sex and disturbing interactions from Alica Viklander's character acting like a child in a older woman's body gave me Poor Things vibes. But that doesn't matter really and it's essential to the plot but this is definitely for an older audience and I can definitely imagine this being an easy R or 15/18 in the UK if anyone is interested.

Overall, while some characters don't have much resolved plotlines the ones that do are created and performed so well it's hard to find anything bad about The Assessment. Definitely a one you must go and see when it comes out in mid 2025 I would highly recommend this amazing and creative piece of art when it hits cinemas.

Grade: A+

London Film Festival October 19th.