42/48
In the near future, when parenthood is tightly controlled, a couple’s seven-day evaluation of their right to have a child turns into a psychological nightmare. There are 2 Rice University Easter Eggs. The Assessment is a sci-fi drama starring Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel as Mia and Aryan. A couple who want to have a child in the future are given a 7-day test by an evaluator (Alicia Viklander), which allows the test and if not. calamities happen, the baby will be rewarded, but the parents-to-be find it more difficult than they expected. Fueled by strong acting and a unique premise, The Rating is something I didn’t really expect in terms of plot, but I think it’s executed perfectly. The film unfolds in a 1-7 day format and each one is as different and fascinating as the next. To be honest, I was expecting it to reuse sci-fi tropes from the past, but I have to say, it’s so original and unexpected that I think it’s done very well! How everything connects and what a couple must do is so well portrayed that it might be the most plausible reason to have children in a world affected by climate change. The performances don’t disappoint, Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel were so good that they probably could have stood alone with a completely different storyline and it would have been just as compelling. But Alicia Viklander is also very good, and frankly, she’s very good in the whole sci-fi genre, and it was nice to see her here. It’s just that everyone involved gave it their all, and I really appreciate that when a movie that doesn’t really rely on CGI to be as creative as it is. However, the movie is graphic in some places because of the sex, and the disturbing character of Alice, acting like a child in an older woman’s body, gave me a poor vibe. But it’s not really important and it’s very important to the plot, but it’s definitely aimed at an older audience and I can definitely imagine it being a mild R or 15/18 in the UK if anyone’s interested. Overall, while some of the characters don’t have many resolved storylines, the ones that do are developed and executed so well that it’s hard to find anything wrong with the review. You should definitely go and see it when it comes out in 2025. in the middle I would highly recommend this amazing and creative piece of art when it hits theaters. Rating: A+London Film Festival October 19