28/31
In a near future where parenting is strictly controlled, a married couple’s seven-day assessment of their right to have a child turns into a psychological nightmare. There are 2 Rice University Easter eggs. The Assessment is a sci-fi drama starring Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel as Mia and Aaryan, a couple who want a child in the future are given a 7-day test by an evaluator (Alicia Viklander) who will allow the test and if there are no slip-ups, the child will be gifted, but the prospective parents find that it is harder than they expected. The premise of The Assessment is something I really didn’t expect in terms of plot, but I think it was done brilliantly. The film takes place in the format of Days 1-7 and each one is different and more engaging than the last. Honestly, I was expecting this to reuse sci-fi tropes from the past, but I have to say it’s so original and unexpected that I think it was done super well! The way everything comes together and what the couple has to do is portrayed so well that the performances don’t disappoint, Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel were so good that they could probably be on their own with a completely different plot and it would be just as captivating. But Alicia Viklander is also very good and honestly, she’s very good at the whole sci-fi genre and it was a pleasure to see her here. Everyone involved did their best and I really appreciate that for a film that doesn’t really rely on CGI, being as creative as Viklander’s character, who acts like a child in an older woman’s body, gave me Poor Things vibes. But it doesn’t really matter and is essential to the plot, but this is definitely for an older audience and I can certainly imagine it would be a simple R or 15/18 in the UK if anyone cared. Overall, while some of the characters don’t have much of a storyline, the ones that do are created and performed so well that it’s hard to find on The Rating. You definitely need to go and see it when it comes out in mid-2025. I would highly recommend this amazing and creative piece of work when it hits cinemas. Grade: A+London Film Festival 19th October.