The Assessment is a psychological sci-fi thriller following Mia and Aaryan, a wealthy couple applying to be parents in the strictly controlled New World. Their final hurdle is to pass a seven-day assessment conducted by Virginia (Alicia Vikander), who makes sure to test every grain of Mia and Aaryan’s patience and sanity. The trials get more unusual, intrusive, and repulsive at every turn, but they’re not just shocking: they get you thinking about what it really means to raise a person when circumstances are bleak; what the world can come to once nature finally fights back; and what humans are capable of when deprived of humanity. These are weighty themes, but The Assessment carries them out with style and substance. It’s breathtaking to look at, and the performances (especially by Olsen and Vikander) will knock you off your feet.