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The Assessment is a new film premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024. The Fleur Fortune-directed film sees Elizabeth Olson and Himesh Patel as a couple trying to have a baby in a futuristic dystopia. However, in this new world, that is easier said than done. The fascinating sci-fi thriller acts as a weird relationship drama as well, with some bizarre choices that don’t always pay off. Read on for The Assessment review, straight from TIFF 2024.
Please note that the following The Assessment review will be spoiler-free.
The Assessment Is A Sci-Fi Thriller
This latest entry from TIFF 24 starts out with Mia (Olsen) and Aaryan (Patel) awaiting their in-home assessment to become eligible to have a child. We learn that this future has scarce resources, so having offspring is a carefully regulated and government-mandated act. So couples require rigorous evaluation. What that entails, however, is a mystery to them and, therefore, to the audience as well.
Things start to get odd when their assessor, Virginia (Alicia Vikander), arrives and ramps up the stakes. She begins by insisting on being present for their most intimate acts. What follows after is a wild and weird evaluation that keeps the couple on their toes by challenging their desire to have children and their ability to handle it. Whether intentional or not, the assessment also seems to be impacting their relationship, chipping away at any flaws or insecurities. The Assessment is an interesting story that is set in a curious world bolstered by some insanely good performances.
Where The Assessment Fails In Its Storytelling
The Assessment has a very interesting premise, but some of the story elements feel uneven and, at times, baffling. The world-building seemingly takes a backseat to the most significant relationship drama surrounding the assessment itself. Which is the most interesting part of the story? There are some references and expositions about this future. Most effective is a brilliant monologue from the always-incredible Minnie Driver in the second act.
But despite that, this subplot involving what happened to cause this future felt mostly in the background. Until the climax, where a lot is revealed through an expository scene between Olsen and Vikander, that doesn’t entirely land. Given how the story doesn’t consistently spend time alluding to or building up the reveal, it feels underwhelming and like an ad hoc plot point.
The Most Interesting Part Is The Most Underdeveloped
Most of The Assessment is about this married couple navigating this stoic but completely unhinged assessor in Virginia. Where the movie loses me is in its setup. There’s a specific point early on where Virginia makes a very specific choice, as part of her evaluation, that the characters just go along with. There is no setup to this. Mia even inquires at the beginning of the movie what criteria will be used to evaluate them. To which Virginia gives an ominously opaque answer.
But almost immediately after, seemingly suddenly, Mia is on board with it. The shock value of what follows is dependent on the protagonists accepting of it and going along with Vikander. While the story explains this away as every assessment is different, it gets weirder when other characters come into play. Especially a couple who went through the assessment themselves. And despite that, Mia never seemingly wants to ask questions or share their very current experiences with this couple who have gone through it.
Parenthood is sometimes a topic that most parents can relate to others. So you would think in a world where having a child is that much more special and rare meeting another set of parents would fuel that desire even more. But the supporting characters feel more fodder for the conflict—another plot point in the story for Mia and Aaryan to deal with—than real people.
The Assessment Review Is Spoiler Free
The Assessment has a small cast of some highly talented performances. Olsen is a gem and one of the finest actors of her generation. I just wish the projects she’s in serve her and her talent better. Olsen in many ways carries the movie. Olsen gives nuance and complexity to this character who wants to be a mother and is willing to jump through some crazy hoops to get there. Her performance is layered, playing a maternal woman, exasperated and at wit’s end, all within the same scene sometimes. And it’s revelatory.
Supporting her is Himesh Patel as her husband. Aaryan is written as a very unlikeable character, but Patel provides some balance through his performance. He’s slowly becoming one of my most underrated actors. While I have issues with the writing and how their relationship dynamics play out in some parts, it’s undeniable that both Patel and Olsen absolutely crush it here! Their scenes together are electric, and the back and forth are interesting to engage with.
Alicia Vikander For The Win
The wildest performance here has to go to Vikander. A lot of her performance is what really sells the awkwardness and weirdness of the movie. Not a lot worked for me, but I appreciate how full-tilt she goes in this role, committing a hundred percent to this creepy and outrageous performance. Veteran character actors like Indira Varma, along with Driver, add another layer of great performances within The Assessment.
Ultimately, the movie doesn’t entirely work for me. The story feels inconsistent, the world building an afterthought, and narratively, the premise doesn’t follow through on its setup. If the rules of the assessment were better laid out, the audience would be along for the ride with the protagonists instead of feeling left out of what’s going on. And even the stellar performances, without a proper story to anchor them, aren’t enough to redeem The Assessment.
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Rating: C+
The Assessment premiered at TIFF 2024.
The Assessment
In a climate change-ravaged world, a utopian society optimizes life, including parenthood assessments. A successful couple faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing.
Release Date: September 8, 2024
Director: Fleur Fortuné
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen , Alicia Vikander , Himesh Patel
