Movies

3 reasons why you should watch Prime Video’s unsettling new sci-fi The Assessment

BBG News

The Film “The Assessment” is now available on Prime Video, so don’t be surprised if this is your initial encounter with the movie as you might have stumbled upon it while browsing the streaming platform.

Although it boasts an MCU star, Elizabeth Olsen, along with two other well-known actors, Himesh Patel and Alicia Vikander, this thought-provoking sci-fi film bypassed a cinema launch in the UK and had a restricted theatrical debut only in the United States.

Instead of losing out on “The Assessment” in cinemas, we get to enjoy it at home on Prime Video. And if you’re not a subscriber yet, you can still catch it for free with Amazon Prime’s 30-day trial offer.

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Watch The Assessment on Prime Video

In the not-too-distant future depicted in this film, global warming has left the planet in ruins and parenthood is heavily regulated. Facing these difficulties, Mia (Olsen) and Aaryan (Patel) choose to undergo a seven-day evaluation to qualify for having a child, only for their evaluator Virginia (Vikander) to transform it into a harrowing mental ordeal.

Certainly sounds appealing! However, if you’re finding it hard to make up your mind, let me share three compelling reasons that might convince you to watch “The Assessment” without any further hesitation.

1. It’s Alicia Vikander’s best role in years

Many people consider Alicia Vikander’s most outstanding performance to be in the film “Ex Machina,” which was released 11 years ago, although it’s worth noting that this was back then. Subsequently, she won an Oscar for her role in “The Danish Girl” in 2015, and she has since taken on some notable roles like those in “The Green Knight” and “Irma Vep.” However, her career has been a bit of a mix, with some projects being more successful than others.

The Assessment provides an opportunity for Virginia to showcase her skills, as she portrays a multi-layered character that recalls the impressive performance we witnessed in Ex Machina. Virginia is mysterious and unsettlingly convincing, particularly when she adopts the role of a child from the second day of her evaluation involving Mia and Aaryan.

It’s quite unsettling to observe her skillfully manipulate the pair and, in a particularly tense scene, exploit one of them in a most cruel manner (without revealing any spoilers). The most remarkable part about Vikander’s acting is that she manages to portray Virginia as genuinely human even amidst all the strangeness, as the movie approaches its climax.

Instead of spending seven days scrutinizing each movie alongside Virginia, you’ll find yourself drawn back to Vikander’s outstanding acting performance.

2. It’s relatable

Regarding “The Assessment“, despite being based on a future setting, its core element is a scenario universally familiar: a dinner gathering.

In Mia and Aaryan’s evaluation, Serena (Charlotte Ritchie), Holly (Leah Harvey), Ambika (Indira Varma), Walter (Nicholas Pinnock) and his spouse Evie (Minnie Driver) are all included as guests. Here, Serena is Aaryan’s ex-girlfriend, Holly is the new partner of someone else, Ambika is Aaryan’s mother, Walter was previously both Mia’s boss and lover, and Evie is Walter’s current wife.

The guest list for this dinner party is a nightmare, and the next 15 minutes are brilliantly written, filled with witty insults, hidden truths surfacing, and Virginia intentionally making it awkward and uncomfortable for Mia and Aaryan.

Watching it is definitely worth your time, and it enhances the authenticity of the film “The Assessment”, even though its sci-fi premise may be off-putting at first. The movie delves into profound philosophical questions such as what constitutes real living and the apprehension that past experiences could significantly influence our future capabilities.

Deep stuff, for sure, but also often darkly funny as in the dinner party sequence.

3. It will leave you guessing

As a fan, I found myself grappling with unanswered queries after watching this specific rendition of the future – The Assessment is indeed a film that leaves you guessing about its ultimate direction.

It can sometimes be unclear to the audience how well Mia and Aaryan are performing in their evaluation, or what exactly constitutes success. However, the powerful acting from the main cast might keep viewers hooked regardless.

Reaching there is equally captivating, and it may spark thoughts about how you would respond if ever faced with such a circumstance again.

It would be ideal if we never encounter the real scenario of ‘The Assessment‘, yet the finest science fiction is the kind that seems terrifyingly probable.

The Assessment is now available to watch on Prime Video.

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2025-05-08 10:43

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