The Assessment ending explained: What happened to Mia and Aaryan?

The Assessment blends science fiction and dystopian drama with a thriller story. The Fleur Fortuné directed feature is written by John Donnelly, Dave Thomas, and Nell Garfath-Cox. It had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and was released on March 21, 2025.

Here's the official synopsis:

In the near future where parenthood is strictly controlled, a couple's seven-day assessment for the right to have a child unravels into a psychological nightmare.

The ending of the film has been reportedly debated by viewers. So let us find out what exactly happens in the final moments and the eventual fate of the lead characters.

What is the plot of The Assessment?

The Assessment takes place soon, where authorities constantly monitor people becoming parents due to the dearth of proper resources. Couples who want to be parents have to go through a seven-day test of assessment to check their suitability. The protagonists are Mia and Aaryan, who want to have a child. They are visited by Virginia, who will live with them for a week to check if they are suited to be parents. The rest of the story follows what happens next.

How does The Assessment end?

Right after the arrival of Virginia in The Assessment, the lives of Aaryan and Mia are turned upside down. Virginia ends up setting fire to a greenhouse in the end. The last day of the assessment arrives, and Virginia informs them that they are unfit to be parents. Mia also finds out that Aaryan and Virginia slept together. Later on, Mia ends up tracking Virginia at her address and finds out her real name is Grace.

Mia confronts Grace for failing them and realizes that no parent has passed the test in the last few years. Grace reveals that she had lost her daughter and was promised by the authorities to have a child if she continued as an assessor. Mia finds out that there is a place in the old world where people are giving birth to babies. Mia removes her mask and takes a deep breath to inhale the air as she leaves the house. Aaryan, on the other hand, has different preferences. Unlike Mia, who breaks loose of the cocoon she was living in, her husband decides to continue embracing it.

He establishes an AI version of Mia after she leaves and gets a baby from the AI system. While he misses Mia, he does not dare to follow her. Instead, he opts to live in a bubble and has himself surrounded by technology. The film ends with Virginia/Grace jumping from a building, ending her life. She had changed after talking to Mia and possibly realized there was no way out of this situation. She did not want to put another couple through the trauma and hence, decided to end this cycle of going through the same thing again.

The film ends on a pessimistic note and showcases what could happen if humanity turns for the worse and keeps relying on technology.

What do you think of the film's ending?