The Assessment – TIFF 2024
BINGE Movies & TV
September 5 to September 15, 2024
PROGRAMME
TIFF Special Presentations
A couple undergo a weeklong series of tests that decides if they are appropriate to have a child in The Assessment. In a dystopian future with heavy population control, married couple Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) have applied for a weeklong assessment to decide if they can become parents. They are greeted by their assessor Virginia (Alicia Vikander), who will evaluate them for the next 7-days, often by acting in ways that a child would.
The Assessment Synopsis
The Assessment is a dytopian sci-fi fable directed by Fleur Fortuné. The film stars Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and Hiemesh Patel (Don’t Look Up, Tenet) star as married couple Mia and Aaryan, who live in an isolated homestead, where Mia tends her greenhouse and Aaryan does work creating virtual animals. As part of the process to be approved to have a child, the couple are joined by the assessor Virginia, played by Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), who proceeds to give a series of gruelling tests to see if Mia and Aaryan are suitable to become parents.
My Thoughts on The Assessment
A decade after her breakthrough role in Alex Garland’s Ex Machiana, Alicia Vakander shines once again in a similarly-formated sci-fi thriller and arguably her best role since the 2014 film. Vikander’s character of Virginia alternates between her emotionless assessor personality and a more plainful simulated child. Both Elizabeth Olsen’s Mia and Hiemesh Patel’s Aaryan react in different ways, making this assessment also a test of the state of their relationship. The Assessment also features a memorable single-scene performance by Evie, whose rant during a dinner party helps to illuminate just how dystopian the world of The Assessment truly is. Altogether, this film is recommended for those who like sci-fi character studies.
