Chauncey K. Robinson

The film’s topic is sure to be one that gets a lot of people talking given recent discussions surrounding reproductive health and if people should have more children or not. Frankly, as a proud childfree Cat-Mom, it would be nice to get a film that approaches the topic with nuance. The genres of horror and science-fiction have always been a great way to tackle touchy societal issues in a unique way. The official trailer for Fleur Fortuné’s The Assessment seems to be attempting to do so by the looks of the trailer. Although, it could always descend into a basic “stranger-danger invades household and upends a couple/family” story too. So, it’s anyone’s guess.

Synopsis: The Assessment follows Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel), a successful couple who hope to become parents in a near future where resources are extremely limited, and the government keeps firm control over reproduction. They are assigned an assessor named Virginia (Alicia Vikander), who moves into their home for seven days to evaluate whether they deserve to move forward in their parenting journey. What Mia and Aaryan are hoping is a routine test quickly unravels into a psychological nightmare, forcing them to question the very foundations of their society and what it truly means to be human.

Verdict: It looks creepy enough, with some juicy existential questions added into the mix. An intimate sci-fi thriller is what it’s giving, with big ideas intertwined. The way they handle the heavy subject material will ultimately determine the quality of the story, but there looks like there are some great performances we may witness.

Check out the trailer: