This 93%-Rated Gem Is the Best Sci-Fi Dystopia of 2024 No One Is Talking About (Yet)
Despite rave reviews, the dystopian film The Assessment, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander, is receiving too little attention. Here is why it's a must-see for fans of thoughtful sci-fi.
The sci-fi drama The Assessment, the debut of Fleur Fortuné, was recently released on streaming platforms. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024 but only became available to viewers this year.
Although The Assessment received high scores from critics and viewers alike, the film went almost unnoticed – despite being a real gem for fans of Black Mirror, Alex Garland's movies, and After Yang.
What Is 'The Assessment' About?
Set in the future, the movie depicts a world ravaged by war. To survive, people cut back on everything: they exterminated all animals, and states fenced themselves off from each other.
To control the population, scientists invented a drug, which suppresses fertility and allows people to live for more than a hundred years. Only select couples are permitted to have children, and to do so, the spouses must pass a seven-day test.
Where it changes: Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) decide to take their chances. The examiner, Virginia (Alicia Vikander), comes to their house. After a calm first day, she begins to act as if she is Mia and Aaryan's daughter.
'The Assessment' Is a Grounded and Realistic Dystopia About Parenthood
The Assessment is a dystopia in which the creators focus on a relevant and understandable problem – the director is interested in procreation. What sacrifices are the potential parents willing to make?
In this harsh future world, the main characters are victims of a repressive and ruthless state because of the monstrous laws.
As the finale approaches, the issue of freedom in a totalitarian society takes center stage, and the difficulties of parenthood fade into the background.
Why it's worth watching: Although the main message is blurred, The Assessment will be remembered as one of the most outstanding sci-fi dystopias of recent years because the events in the movie are too easy to imagine in our world.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Assessment'?
IndieWire critic Christian Zilko gave The Assessment a B+, saying:
“Fortuné [...] have crafted a compelling genre thriller that manages to build a world that feels both genuinely new and depressingly realistic.”
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The Assessment has 82% from critics and 93% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.6/10.
Where to Watch 'The Assessment'?
The Assessment is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
