The Assistant

2020 1h 28m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 553

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A searing look at a day in the life of an assistant to a powerful executive. As Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the insidious abuse that threatens every aspect of her position.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Julia Garner
Jane
Matthew Macfadyen
Wilcock
Makenzie Leigh
Ruby
Kristine Froseth
Sienna
Jonny Orsini
Male Assistant 2
Noah Robbins
Male Assistant 1
Alexander Chaplin
Max
Jay O. Sanders
Boss (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kitty Green
Writers: Kitty Green
Languages: Mandarin, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kitty Green, shot by Michael Latham. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tamar-kali. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Blair McClendon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Julia Garner and Matthew Macfadyen and Makenzie Leigh carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt9000224 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kitty Green directs. Michael Latham behind the camera. Tamar-kali scores. Blair McClendon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Mandarin, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, English.
4Directed by Kitty Green, shot by Michael Latham. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tamar-kali. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Blair McClendon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Julia Garner and Matthew Macfadyen and Makenzie Leigh carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt9000224 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 12 themes, including "movie business", "corporate world", "employer employee relationship", "personal assistant".

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Latham
Original score: Tamar-kali
Editing: Blair McClendon
Production design: Fletcher Chancey
Makeup / hair: Regina de Lemos
VFX supervisor: Ruben Rodas
Sound: Leslie Shatz
Stunt coordinator: Manny Siverio
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,338,881
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Assistant (2020)

Also by

Kitty Green

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots2020-03-27
★ 8/10
“The Assistant,” a timely story about abuse of power in the workplace, left me shaken and angry. This quietly devastating film about a young assistant (Julia Garner) to a prominent entertainment executive is inspired by the Me Too movement (and clearly, the bad actions of Harvey Weinstein). The story accurately portrays the weighty emotional toll that stems from knowing something isn’t quite right, but you are powerless to do anything about it. Jane (Garner) is just starting out in her career. She puts in long hours at the New York office of a powerful film exec, and she takes continual emotional and verbal abuse from her boss (whom we never see). There’s nothing glamorous or rewarding about her job, but those around her give constant reminders that she is the lucky one simply because she is employed there. Jane is faced with hostile, degrading comments from almost everyone she comes in contact with, but she quietly goes about her business and tries her best to ignore it. Writer / director Kitty Green chooses to center her methodical, orderly narrative around a female assistant, which makes the film all the more powerful. She uses point of view shots that make it feel as if you’re right there in the office, stepping directly into the character’s shoes. The story takes place over one day in a drab office as Jane begins to see a pattern of events that don’t add up. She’s someone who doesn’t quite know enough to have a clear, undeniable picture of what’s going on, yet she still knows something definitely isn’t quite right. It’s unsettling and effective, and it something to which young women (and some young men) everywhere will sadly relate. When Jane tries to do the right thing, she’s stonewalled by a Hollywood culture where abuse is tolerated, joked about, and covered up — in other words, it’s accepted. She watches as her colleagues joke about these escapades while laughing off her concerns. An unhelpful HR director (the terrific Matthew Macfadyen) dismisses her complaints as “bullshit” and a product of “jealousy,” which is infuriating to watch because it feels so steeped in truth. Even more disturbing is that while eyes have been opened thanks to the “Me Too” movement, this gross misconduct is still going on in offices all over the world. Newsflash to those working in the entertainment industry (and elsewhere): if you don’t speak up, or if you laugh about or shrug off bad behavior, you’re part of the problem. “The Assistant” is a sobering reminder that just because “that’s the way it is” doesn’t make it right.
SWITCH.2020-06-24
★ 8/10
You'd be hard-pressed to find a film that moves with such unassuming intensity as 'The Assistant', a film that demands full attention from its audience to tell a frustratingly normalised story of frustrating normalised harassment. It's a quiet film brimming with power, one that is not to be missed. - Ashley Teresa Read Ashley's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-assistant-meek-and-mad