Title – The Assessment (2024)

Director – Fleur Fortune (feature debut)

Cast – Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, Alicia Vikander, Minnie Driver

Plot – In a future where parenthood becomes a given privilege not a right, devoted couple Mia (Olsen) and Aaryan (Patel) must convince registered assessor Virginia (Vikander) that they are suitable candidates to be parents during an in home stay.

“Would you pass?”

Review by Eddie on 06/08/2025

Despite a name brand cast and an intriguing concept, there’s every likelihood that many keen eyed moviegoers had no idea about the existence of Amazon original The Assessment, the feature debut of long-term music video director Fleur Fortune who brings enough to the table here to suggest she has what it takes to craft a special movie in the future should the stars align.

Enlisting the not insignificant talent pool of Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, Alicia Vikander and an important cameo from industry veteran Minnie Driver, Fortune has surrounded herself with the right people to bring her futuristic vision to life, one that’s built on the foundations of its performers and the core concept of Fortune’s unique science fiction vision.

Based in an unspecified future where Earth has been ravaged by a series of global catastrophes and the choice of having a child is now not an individual choice rather one decided by a government backed agency who anoint parents based of a series of invasive “assessments”, The Assessment is intimate and confined in nature with the majority of its close to two hour run time taking place in the household of Olsen and Patel’s couple Mia and Aaryan who are being visited by Vikander’s assessor Virginia to try and pass the parental test.

It’s not the type of film that’s going to appease general fans or more specific genre fans seeking out action pact or spectacle driven offerings but there’s a softly spoken power to Fortune’s film, one that isn’t afraid to get very weird in parts and confounding in others, but for those willing to accept its flaws there’s great pay-offs to be had and getting to witness such a talented cast play off one another is always a great viewing opportunity.

Relatively quiet over recent years following her Oscar winning period, it’s particularly great to see Vikander back plying her trade on a worthy product while Olsen’s post-Marvel career continues to impress while Patel keeps edging closer to the breakthrough role he has been flirting with over the past few years.

With the lead trio all up to the task and on board for The Assessment’s weird and wacky ride with a pertinent and heartfelt message this Amazon original is well worth tracking down.

It may not all work at every given moment and there are elements and ingredients in Fortune’s debut that feel underexplored or out of place but when The Assessment works it’s operating at a very intriguing level, giving us a confronting and humanistic offering that deserves to finds its audience.

Final Say –

Culminating in an emotional rich and thematic fashion, The Assessment is a flawed but noteworthy debut from a new directional voice, who manages to unearth three top-quality performances from her main cast along the way.

3 1/2 greenhouses out of 5