Wannabe parents face intrusive tests in Fleur Fortuné’s dystopian drama about the future of family planning
„We would make great parents!“, claims Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) early on in Fleur Fortuné’s ambitious feature film debut. Its protagonist couple Mia, a botanical scientist, and her partner Aaryan (Himesh Patel) have a strong wish for a child and feel qualified to raise it. But are they? This question forms the basis of the psychological sci-fi story. In a not too distant future, the earth is devastated by climate change. Large parts are radioactively contaminated wasteland. But Mia and Aaryan belong to those privileged individuals who live relatively comfortably, albeit in an authoritarian surveillance society. They have clean air, water, food from Mia’s greenhouse and plenty of space in their smart home by the sea. Only they have no child.
To get one they need special approval. The French director and visual artist imagines a Big Brother state where only society’s elite is eligible for parenting. The 0.1% like Mia and Aaryan have to pass a rigorous 7-day-test. During that time their assessor Virginia (Alicia Vikander) will move in with them to observe – and judge – even the most intimate aspects of their life. Their relationship slowly disintegrates as Virginia puts their nerves through the mangler. The narrative set-up touches on a vast range of complex socio-political topics: climate change, population control, social Darwinism, classism, ableism … Disappointingly, the story doesn’t explore any of these issues. Fortuné brings up lots of controversial questions and equally quickly drops them.
What makes good parents? Wealth, excellent health, academic degrees, social status and flawless conduct are merely basic criteria. The real challenges are Virginia’s bizarre and often outright creepy demands: Put together an Ikea-style playground thingy in record time. Proof you have a great sex life. Get a sulking toddler to have breakfast or a stubborn teenager to stop endangering themselves. To make these tests more realistic, Virginia pretends to actually be their child. This could have ended up inadvertently ridiculous. To their credit, Vikander, Olsen and Patel ground the weird scenario with their serious performances. As Fortuné zooms in on the psychological dynamic between the three, the political aspects fade into the background.
Until they suddenly pop up again during a disastrous dinner party. The awkward gathering with all the wrong guests comes with a big exposition dump. Again, this only works halfway thanks to good acting, this time mainly by Minnie Driver. In a small key part, she explains how the world became this futuristic nightmare. Beneath the retro costumes and slick 70s interior design, complete with conversation pit, hides a whole lot of survivalist ruthlessness and opportunistic denial. However, the question how much state brutality one would condone to satisfy a selfish desire, is brushed aside. Psychosexual tension raises as the assessment becomes a perverse mind game. But what is the point of this game?
Aaryan observes: Virginia is there to push their buttons. Fortuné does the same for the audience. Her blend of dysfunctional family drama and dystopia prioritizes provocation over psychological depth and political heft. Heavy-handed symbolism and perfunctory flashbacks can’t fill in the narrative blanks. The loopy structure unravels into a third act that feels like an afterthought. Whats more frustrating about this overly explanatory final: Fortuné backtracks on her more subversive sociological points. In a last minute repeal she reaffirms conservative assumptions about emotional connection and family. All in all, her stylish sci-if thriller works better as a showcase for impressive acting and a conversation starter than as a psychological drama.
- OT: The Assessment
- Director: Fleur Fortuné
- Screenplay: Dave Thomas, John Donnelly
- Year: 2025
- Distribution | Production © capelight pictures
