The Assessment 4K 2024

It cannot be said that this film offers many new ideas about the terrible future that awaits humanity if we do not stop fighting nature, destroying animals, cutting down forests, polluting the planet, etc. Here we see the classic dystopian theme of total state control over all aspects of human life, from the most seemingly harmless things to deeply personal matters that should ideally be decided exclusively between two people, without prying eyes and ears.

The acting is very convincing. Elizabeth Olsen is harmonious in the role of a scientist who desperately wants to become a mother and does everything possible and impossible to pass the sophisticated tests prepared for her and her husband. As Mia and Arjan went through these stressful tasks, many questions arose. Why does the parenting test turn into a bacchanalia? Why does the state-appointed evaluator go beyond all limits, destroying the lives of people who just want to bring a new person into this world? Maybe Virginia is not an evaluator at all, but some woman who is offended by the main characters and is trying to settle scores with them?

Alicia Vikander's character was incredibly irritating for most of the film, both because of her ridiculous appearance and her disgusting behavior. I really wanted someone to deal with her and put an end to the mess she had created in the main characters' home. Against the backdrop of Olsen and Vikander, Himesh Patel seemed to get lost, in my opinion. At times, it felt as if a rivalry was brewing between the women over the male lead, but in the end, everything fell into place. The negative emotions associated with Virginia disappeared, as it turned out that she was just as much a victim of the system as Mia and Arjan.

I would have liked to see a little more exploration of Mia's relationship with her mother. The episode at the very beginning of the film is not very clear. It seems that the heroine's mother was not as bad as she was portrayed throughout the film. I would have liked to see at least one shot of the old world. What is happening there in the forbidden zone? And the final scene is not entirely clear. Did Mia really decide to take such a decisive step, or was it just an excursion?

The ending is dark and bleak, which is typical for dystopian fiction. But the hope in Mia's eyes as she crosses the line suggests that perhaps humanity still has a chance. A small and faint chance, but a chance nonetheless.