Review: The Assessment

Official Synopsis: In a climate change-ravaged world, a utopian society optimizes life, including parenthood assessments. A successful couple, Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Arayan (Himesh Patel) faces scrutiny by an evaluator, Virginia (Alicia Vikander) over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing.

When I first heard about this film coming off its festival run, I thought it sounded a lot like The Pod Generation, a 2023 film also about couples and pregnancy in the future, but the two films couldn't be more different. Where The Pod Generation was light hearted, The Assessment is uncomfortable.

Mia and Arayan probably would be good parents, but Virginia puts them through the ringer in a way that will make you squirm in your seat. I love an Uncomfortable Dinner Scene™ and boy does the Assessment have one. 

All of the actors are putting in some of their best work here. Alicia Vikander is here to remind you that she is an Oscar winner and her range is on full display here. Elizabeth Olsen is no stranger to portraying grief in her films, but she's just so good at it. There's a scene where the camera lingers on her crying face that is just incredible.

It's quite shocking that this is director Fleur Fortuné's first feature. It's shot with so much confidence. The sets are beautiful. The future here is all clean lines with a bit of 70's flair. It's very different from other films that imagine what 1000's of years later might look like. I cannot wait to see what she does next.

The Assessment is now streaming on Hulu.

Grade: A