The Assistant: Doing the Most by Saying the Least

The Assistant, written and directed by Kitty Green, is a dark deeply-detailed drama about a young woman working for a movie mogul monster. Jane, played by Julia Garner, is a recent graduate that dreams of being a film producer as she gets her beginning as an assistant at a Tribeca production company. The film follows a day in her life from the moment she arrives at work to the second she gets off for the day. Her job includes being the first one in the office, fielding calls, opening packages, scheduling meetings, lying to the boss's wife, and making reservations. The thing that makes this film so powerful is that the boss is never referred to by name or seen, he is only heard and referred to as him and his powerful, scary presence is felt throughout the film by doing the least. Her boss can be heard yelling at her over the phone and emails and then apologizing.


The film is successful in setting up a toxic environment where weaker employees feel trapped in what they see. In this environment employers exploit employees without ever being called out for their criminalizing behavior, it is seen as a norm and they can easily get away with it because no one wants to question the boss. The most devastating scene is when Jane visit HR and the rep tells her to forget her concerns. He doesn't understand why she would want to throw away her career over something "silly." He continues to belittle and question her about her actual concerns for another female employee. This scene easily answers the question of "why didn't you tell someone?" because Jane is painted as the problem and the whole career that she just started could be thrown away because of it. This pushes the power of silence.


Green successfully tells a narrative in the power structure of the workplace where abusers are kept in power and woman are often under them with no one or no place to turn to. Jane is alone and has no one to relate to or discuss with the fear of losing her job. This makes the film mesmerizing and an incredible commentary on the time we currently live in. The film is a slow-burn but it adds to the tone of the film. Jane relives this routine every day where the hours are long and no moment of thrill happens, it is set up like a normal workspace. Her routine is soul-crushing and audiences can share her pain and agony with her. Garner perfectly plays a woman alone who doesn't need a flashy monologue or yelling to display how she's feeling. Her silence says it all. The small, wounded eyes, gestures and posture shows her vulnerability and feelings of being trapped. She is helpless and facing a moral battle on the inside. This film is a perfect snapshot of the MeToo era and resonates with audiences on the subject matter.