The Assessment is an impressive and impactful debut from director Fleur Fortune. Set in a dystopian future, the film follows a hyper-intelligent and seemingly well-off couple—Mia, a botanist played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Aaryan, a designer of lifelike digital pets portrayed by Himesh Patel—as they seek government permission to have a child. To do so, they must undergo an intense evaluation process overseen by a government assessor, played with unflinching vulnerability by Alicia Vikander, who determines whether they’re fit to become parents.
On the surface, the premise treads familiar territory seen in many dystopian narratives. However, what sets this film apart is the tone Fortune captures. The world she builds is both vague and richly lived-in—grounded in a way that makes the sci-fi elements feel honest rather than ornamental. At its core, though, the film is buoyed by extraordinary performances from its leads.
Olsen, whom I’ve admired since Martha Marcy May Marlene, wears the weight of generational trauma like an all-encompassing cloak. Her portrayal of a woman desperate to give a child the kind of love and stability she never received is deeply affecting. Patel is equally strong, playing a man grasping for connection—digital or physical—with quiet sincerity.
But it’s Vikander who delivers one of the most mesmerizing performances I’ve seen in years. She acts with a kind of emotional abandon that elevates the film from a cerebral sci-fi tone poem into something far more unsettling. In a just world, she’d be in serious conversation come awards season.
If I had one criticism, it’s that the film lingers past what could have been a more poignant and powerful ending. There’s a moment earlier on that felt like a natural, emotionally resonant conclusion—one that didn’t feel the need to spell out everything we just experienced throughout the film. Still, what Fortune accomplishes here is remarkable. In another director’s hands, this could have easily become just another generic, forgettable sci-fi thriller. But The Assessment is a perfect example of how it’s not always the story itself that makes a film memorable, but the way that story is told.
It’s also a testament to the resilience and creative vitality of independent cinema—a reminder that even in a landscape where Hollywood increasingly abandons risk and nuance, filmmakers like Fleur Fortune can still deliver bold, emotionally rich stories that challenge, move, and linger for weeks after viewing.
