Children of Men (2006)

Films set in the future tend to go out of date fairly quickly. Here, the opposite is true.

Directed and co-written by Alfonso Cuarón in 2006, this classic dystopian film set in a future (2027) police-state Britain of closed borders and internment camps has only grown more resonant over time and now feels like science fact.

Adapted from P.D. James’ 1992 novel, with a screenplay by Timothy J. Sexton and Cuarón, this dystopian future UK is a world where humans are infertile, and it follows frustrated, jaded civil servant Theo Faron (Clive Owen), who has given up on the future after losing his son years prior to a flu pandemic.

Theo is abruptly kidnapped by ‘The Fishes’, a militant underground immigrant-rights activist group and discovers that their leader is his estranged ex-wife, Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore).

She offers him money to secure transit papers for a young illegal immigrant named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) and to help transport the – miraculously – pregnant woman to sanctuary.

The first pregnancy the world has seen in nearly two decades.

A hostile faction within the Fishes assassinates Julian, and Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the violent new second-in-command, plans to use the baby as a political pawn in a revolution.

Theo flees with Kee and a sympathetic older woman and former midwife named Miriam (Pam Ferris), seeking refuge with The Human Project – a mythical scientific group rumoured to be working on a cure for infertility.

The group briefly hides out with Theo’s old friend Jasper Palmer (Michael Caine), a cynical former political cartoonist, before the Fishes track them down, forcing another desperate escape during which Jasper is killed.

Smuggled inside the chaotic Bexhill transit camp, Kee goes into labour and gives birth to a healthy baby girl.

As a brutal military uprising and urban battle engulfs the camp, Theo and Kee try to navigate the crossfire.

When Theo, Kee, and the infant briefly step into the open, the fighting temporarily grinds to an absolute halt as soldiers and rebels alike lower their weapons in stunned reverence at the sight of a baby.

As Theo and Kee escape the camp toward a rowing boat to reach the Human Project’s rescue ship, Theo is shot and mortally wounded.

As a bleeding Theo loses consciousness, Kee rows toward the fog-shrouded ship, accompanied by the faint sound of children’s laughter over the credits.

The film is celebrated for its use of long takes and unbroken single-shot sequences.

Children of Men‘s take on immigration and xenophobia is depressingly accurate to our current reality, and to watch it today is to feel that Cuarón didn’t just have his finger on the pulse, but rather had both palms wrapped around a glowing crystal ball.

Theo Faron
Clive Owen
Julian Taylor
Julianne Moore
Kee
Clare-Hope Ashitey
Jasper Palmer
Michael Caine
Luke
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Miriam
Pam Ferris
Nigel
Danny Huston
Shirley
Maria McErlane
Mr Griffiths
Michael Haughey
Ian
Paul Sharma
Janice
Philippa Urquhart
Patric
Charlie Hunnam
Zara
Tehmina Sunny
Rado
Michael Klesic
Birgit
Martina Messing
Alex
Ed Westwick
Simon
Gary Hoptrough
Samir
Maurice Lee
Dhafer
Dhafer L’Abidine
Bruno
Bruno Ouvrard
Emily
Denise Mack
Tomasz
Jacek Koman
Joy
Joy Richardson
Caroline
Caroline Lena Olsson
Milenka
Milenka James
Somi
Somi Guha
Francisco
Francisco Labbe
Thorston
Thorston Manderlay
Georgette
Georgette Pallard
Syd
Peter Mullan
Marichka
Oana Pellea
Sirdjan
Faruk Pruti
Ministry Official
Barnaby Edwards
Bookmaker
Billy Cook
Caged German Grandmother
Miriam Karlin
Radio Announcer (voice)
Nihal Arthanayake
Baby Diego
Juan Yacuzzi

Director
Alfonso Cuarón