THE ASSESSMENT
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, and Alicia Vikander
Director: Fleur Fortune
NICK
The Assessment is so much weirder than I ever could have imagined... in a good way, though. This science fiction story reminded me of Biosphere with its unexpected story turns and surprising humour. The trio of Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander, and Himesh Patel completely buy-in to the unique concept, and it's the reason the film works as well as it does. Patel, in particular, is the glue that holds this thing together, and it’s one of his strongest performances to date. Fair warning: the less you know about this one going in, the better.
QUENTIN
On its surface, The Assessment is a tense and claustrophobic exploration into the difficulties of parenthood. On top of that, it has style to burn, as well as three tremendous performances, none more excellent than Alicia Vikander in one of the best showings of her career. However, as the story widens its aperture into broader world-building and deeper commentaries on bureaucracy and “this could really happen” stakes, it loses the thread a bit. There is still a lot to like in The Assessment, including some self-validation that being a parent isn’t for me, but it just barely misses sticking the landing.
KATIE
I found The Assessment very frustrating. The cast is great, especially Elizabeth Olsen’s incredible performance, it’s stylishly shot, and on the surface, it explores the intriguing idea of a near-future, dystopian world devastated by the impacts of environmental disaster. However, it's painfully obvious where everything is headed, to the extent that I found all the characters’ actions almost wilfully illogical. The film also presents a cold world run by a dispassionate state, so by the time it asked me to empathise with a character that perpetuates the trauma they claim to be a victim of, I didn’t feel emotionally engaged.
PAIGE
The Assessment is a compelling lo-fi dystopian drama that isn’t afraid to be bold and unconventional. This dour film, which tackles the harsh and unrealistic expectations society places on parents, strongly resembles a Black Mirror episode. While it does feel somewhat repetitive and overpowering at times, the ups and downs that are presented throughout the movie actually work in its favor. Director Fleur Fortune delivers an impressive directorial debut with fantastic performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel, but the real standout here is Alicia Vikander, who steals the film with her intense yet bombastic performance.
ADRIANO
Serious sci-fi can have a lot of diminishing returns, but when these types of movies work, they stick with you. The Assessment mostly works. Admittedly, it has some moments when I wasn't completely in on the emotions, but the atmosphere does wonders for the captivating story, as well as the performances. Elizabeth Olsen, in particular, really shines extra bright. Even though the movie's concept is already interesting on its own, I really enjoyed the path in which director Fleur Fortune took the film, leaving a strangely strong impact.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and 2024 Zurich Film Festival respectively.