Children of Men: The Dystopian Masterpiece That Feels More Urgent Every Year
By fypfeed| BBC Culture | 23 June 2025
Nearly two decades after its debut Alfonso Curaron’s Children of Men continues to provoke discussion between academics, critics and movie buffs alike. Although it was snubbed by the box office back in the year 2006, the dark and bleak thriller has since evolved into an important cultural reference point with the vision it offers of a deteriorating future society has now become frighteningly close to what is actually happening.
A Film That Defied Its Own Debut
The first time Children of Men was released in theaters in the latter part of 2006, the reaction was not as enthusiastic. With a budget of $76m (PS56m) the film made just $70m (PS52m) globally which was a disappointment according to Hollywood standards. The film’s poor marketing and the bleak topic matter meant that audiences initially snubbed the film.
However, time has been more kinder. The film currently has an approval score of 92% from reviewers according to Rotten Tomatoes, an 85 percentage score from the audience and is still taught in film classes. The film that was once thought of as an unprofitable commercial failure is now thought to be one of the top science-fiction films in the 21st century.
The Premise: A World Without Children
The film is based on P.D. James’s 1992 novel with the same title. The story is set in 2027 -only two years away it is a frightful depiction of a world struggling with the effects of a mass infertility. For more than two decades no child has been born. Humanity is in the process of dying, and, with it, the loss of the hope.
In the midst of this devastation, Britain is portrayed as the only functioning nation-state remaining in a stable state through restrictive measures and savage anti-immigration laws. Refugees are in camps. Unrest rages on the streets. Environmental degradation, terrorism and surveillance are the mainstays of daily life.
The film is told through Theo Faron (Clive Owen) an activist who has lost his faith who is enticed into a mission of desperate necessity to save Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) an asylum seeker who is miraculously pregnant. Their journey through war-ravaged England transforms into an actual and a metaphorical battle to save humanity’s last chance of survival.
Star Power, Grounded Humanity
The cast is impressive: Julianne Moore as Theo’s ex-partner, Michael Caine as a unconventional and subversive ally, Chiwetel Ejiofor Pam Ferris, and Charlie Hunnam in key supporting roles. But at the center of the plot is Owen’s edgy, hesitant heroic act of selfless service.
The film has been praised by critics not just because of its ensemble cast, but in addition for its dark realist feel. In contrast to more conventional sci-fi films, Children of Men is stripped of all glamour and reveals a future that is eerie and lived-inmessy turbulent, chaotic, and utterly real.
The Craft Behind the Chaos
A large part of the film’s long-lasting popularity is due to its technical excellence. Alfonso Cuaron, fresh off Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban created an action film that melded action blockbusters with a smoky arthouse.
The cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki produced one of the more famous single-take scenes in contemporary cinema which include an extended ambush scene as well as an intense battle sequence set in the refugee camp. The continuous, uninterrupted shots pulled viewers into the immediate chaos, resulting in a like a documentary style sense of realism.
Growing Relevance in 2025
The film’s prescientity is what keeps it relevant in our current political discourse. Its vision of mass-migration crisis, state authoritarianism protests and environmental degradation resonates in an age characterized by extreme climate change, political extremism and debates on borders.
In X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote recently:
” Children of Men (2006) might not have been a hit on the screen, but the time has shown it to be an epic sci-fi film. It is a terrifying, urgent film that becomes becoming more relevant with each anniversary.”
Another critic of Rotten Tomatoes commented:
“Under Cuaron’s direction Children of Men is gorgeously shot, superbly acting, and filled with suspense and emotional heft. It’s a violent chase thriller as well as a sophisticated character drama.”
A Lasting Legacy
In the more than twenty years since the film’s release, Children of Men has been praised again, not only as a film, but also as an alarm. The film has been compared by scholars against the works of George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale dystopias that read less like dreamscapes from the past and more like a roadmap of social decline.
Film historian Professor Sarah Atkinson notes:
“What can make Children of Men endure is not just its technical brilliance, but also its emotional strength. It prompts us to think what happens if hope goes out of the window? What is needed to rekindle hope?”
Where to Watch
For those looking to revisit it or see this show for the first time Children of Men is currently streaming now on NOW in the UK and available to lease through Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV worldwide.
Twenty years later Cuaron’s dark future seems less like fantasy, and it’s more like looking into a mirrorwhich gets brighter, darker as well as more pressing with every anniversary.
