The Assessment (2024) is a science fiction psychological drama set in a near-future world where environmental collapse and overpopulation have led governments to strictly control reproduction. In this society, people are not allowed to have children naturally. Couples who wish to become parents must pass a mandatory and invasive evaluation process designed to determine whether they are suitable to raise a child.

The story follows Mia and Aaryan, a married couple living in a highly controlled, technologically advanced environment. Both are educated, emotionally stable, and socially responsible, so they believe they are ideal candidates for parenthood. Their assessment begins when Virginia, a government-appointed evaluator, arrives to live with them for seven days and observe their behavior.

What initially seems like a formal review quickly becomes an intense psychological test. Virginia subjects the couple to unpredictable and humiliating situations, questioning their relationship, emotional resilience, and moral boundaries. The rules of the assessment are unclear, and the evaluator’s behavior grows increasingly manipulative, creating tension and mistrust between Mia and Aaryan.

As the days pass, the pressure exposes hidden fears, unresolved conflicts, and differences in how each partner understands love, responsibility, and freedom. Their relationship begins to crack under constant surveillance and judgment. The couple realizes that the assessment is less about parenting ability and more about obedience, conformity, and submission to authority.

By the end of the film, it becomes apparent that the system is designed to deny people the right to choose their own future. The assessment offers no transparency or fairness, leaving applicants powerless. Disillusioned and emotionally exhausted, Mia chooses to leave the controlled society in search of genuine freedom, even if it means risking her safety. Aaryan, unable to break free, remains behind, retreating into artificial simulations as a substitute for real human connection.

The Assessment is a disturbing exploration of state control, intimacy, and autonomy. It raises questions about who has the right to decide what makes a “good” parent and whether a safe, regulated life is worth the loss of freedom, choice, and authentic human experience.