The Assessment is a crazy, twisted, messed up movie that works thanks to the incredible performances by all three leads.
The Assessment is one of those movies that can be difficult to watch because of how far it is willing to go. While the story itself is bizarre, suspenseful, and twisted, it is the three lead performances by Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, and Alicia Vikander that really make it work.
In a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, the human race is not simply allowed to procreate as they wish. Instead, an assessor is sent to their home, where they must go through a series of tests in order to decide if they should have a child. This is because of the limited resources that humans have, and the fact that there is a drug keeping people alive until they choose to die.
With people living to be hundreds of years old, they are taking up food and water that could be used for younger generations. Essentially, there is a bit of a standstill with only those who pass the assessment being allowed to raise children as those in charge look to include only the best of the best.
When the time comes for Mia (Olsen) and Aaryan (Patel) to be tested, they quickly realize this may not be as easy as they thought it would be. Their assessor Virginia (Vikander) puts them through the ringer. There are several scenes that are extremely uncomfortable to watch, but at the same time showcase Vikander’s willingness to give everything over to this role.
Her character must do things that, honestly, it is shocking to see any grown woman do. Not only does she essentially pretend to be a child, acting out and causing drama between the couple, but she takes things too far, too often. Multiple times while I was watching The Assessment, I would start to think, “What kind of person would do this to another human being?” and “She must be sadistic to be willing to go this far.”
While I will not go into details, I will let you know that all is revealed in the third act and, thankfully, there are satisfying yet frustrating answers to the questions most viewers will have throughout the film.
The story itself is intriguing, and I found myself hanging on every word trying to figure out exactly what was going on. The Assessment perfectly falls into the psychological thriller category, as poor Mia and Aayan seem to be tormented by this woman as they are put in humiliating and uncomfortable situations.
This is where my feelings for this movie are hard to nail down. Surely that is the point of it all, but when I cringe watching a movie, I cannot say for sure that I like it – if that makes sense. This one is a difficult watch – especially THAT scene (you will know exactly what I mean when you watch it).
Still, it is because of the incredible performances by all three leads that I must praise this movie. I already spoke of the commitment to the role that Vikander shows, but I must also talk about Olsen’s willingness to lay it all out on the table as well. Everyone knows what an incredible actress she is, but there is one moment in particular, towards the end, where she just starts laughing – that scene broke my heart and moved me to tears.
Patel also brings his A-game. The way his attention immediately pivots away from his wife over to his pretend child in an effort to pass the tests is seamless and believable. Which is hard to do considering that so much of what happens in this film feels like a stretch of the imagination. Would humans really act this way if put in this situation? I cannot say that I think many would.
The Assessment tells the story of an intriguing concept. However, so much of it goes so far to the point that a lot of the believability and credibility crumbles. The third act seems to go on for a bit too long and certainly could have been wrapped up neater and quicker.
That said, it is thanks to the commitment of the stellar cast that makes this one worth checking out – even if it is difficult to watch at times.
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About The Assessment
In the near future where parenthood is strictly controlled, a couple’s seven-day assessment for the right to have a child unravels into a psychological nightmare, forcing them to question the very foundations of their society and what it truly means to be human.
Magnolia Pictures will release THE ASSESSMENT in theaters March 21, 2025.
The Assessment is a crazy, twisted, messed up movie that works thanks to the incredible performances by all three leads.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.