The Assessment (2025)

Set in a dystopian society in the near future where parenthood is strictly controlled, a married couple (Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel) applying for a child must go through a seven day personal assessment from a government agent (Alicia Vikander). Directed by Fleur Fortune in her feature film directorial debut. A thinking man's piece of science fiction, there's no special effects or aliens from outer space but a sharp observance of a society under the government's thumb and a psychological game the parental applicants must pass, even as it demeans and humiliates them. At the beginning, I had a difficult time with the absurd extremes that the couple were put through by the assessor. Extremes that most couples would rebel against (like the assessor watching them have sex). But it all makes some kind of sense when the movie is over. The film belongs to its two female leads, who are excellent. Patel's character isn't as interesting but I'm not sure if it's the actor or the character as written. Filmed in the Canary Islands. With Minnie Driver (the only other actor who stands out), Indira Varma and Nicholas Pinnock.