THE ASSESSMENT

In the future, parenting is only granted by the State and prospective parents need to undergo and pass an assessment which is proctored by a representative of the State. Married couple Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) believe they are ready to undergo their assessment and are assigned Virginia (Alicia Vikander), who will observe all aspects of their life for the next 7 days, after which her decision will be made and will be final with no recourse for the married couple if they fail. This sci-fi story quickly turns into a psychological nightmare for both Mia and Aaryan as they are not prepared for Virginia's assessment. Vikander is absolutely dazzling as Virginia, bouncing between assessor while pushing Mia and Aaryan's buttons in an attempt to get a reaction out of them. In addition, the story reflects society for couples who say they want a child but don't necessarily consider everything that goes into that process while also dealing with trust issues between Mia and Aaryan as the story unfolds. While this didn't receive a big marketing push and I took a flyer on it as I happened to be in the area of my local theater, I'm really glad I did as this surpassed my expectations. The story is original, the filming location is just right, and the performances are great! I would seek this movie out for anyone with even the slightest bit of interest in it. 7.5/10