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Children of Men

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Children of Men

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• Sci-fi
• Thriller

• 2006
• Alfonso Cuarón
• 104 mins
• 15

Summary

Futuristic thriller starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. In 2027, humanity is facing inevitable extinction due to 18 years of infertility and Britain has become a quasi-fascist state. A ray of hope arrives with the discovery of a young woman who is pregnant, but can she be protected from a political group that wants to use her to further its own ends?

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Jamie Russell

England, 2027: this green and pleasant land is now a dirty dystopia in which humanity has become infertile and its childless society is crumbling as refugees and terrorists fight the fascist powers that be. Submerged in this chaos is alcoholic activist-turned-bureaucrat Theo Faron (Clive Owen), who watches in despair from the sidelines until a surprise visit from an ex-lover (Julianne Moore) offers him an unlikely glimmer of hope. Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) here delivers a truly startling take on PD James's downbeat novel, reworking its apocalyptic theme through the cracked prism of the post-9/11 era. Owen is excellent and there's a glorious turn from Michael Caine as an ageing, pot-smoking ex-political cartoonist. But it's Cuarón's film: his hand-held camerawork apeing news broadcasts as it records nerve-shredding action set pieces in tense, unbroken shots. True, the proceedings are occasionally marred by a surfeit of plot exposition, yet the stark triumph of Children of Men lies in how its visceral vérité style brings the realities of a War on Terror fought in distant lands crashing back onto British soil.

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7.9/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• BBC iPlayer
• Prime Video
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameTheodore FaronClive OwenJulianJulianne MooreJasperMichael CaineLukeChiwetel EjioforPatricCharlie HunnamKeeClare-Hope AshiteyMiriamPam FerrisNigelDanny HustonSydPeter MullanMarichkaOana Pellea

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Crew

rolenameDirectorAlfonso Cuarón

Details

Theatrical distributor

UIP

Released on

2006-09-22

Languages

English | Arabic | German | Russian | Georgian | Italian | Hebrew | Romanian | Spanish | Sanskrit | Serbian

Guidance

Violence, swearing, drug abuse

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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