A striking, affecting, and viciously beautiful tale of glimmering hope in a land of terminal despair.

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2010)

In 2027, humanity is infertile, and doomed to extinction. In Britain, immigrants are imprisoned in cages, bombings are commonplace and lawless gangs run free. Theo Faron (Clive Owen), an ex-activist and bureaucrat, is kidnapped by a resistance group and told to secure exit papers for a girl who turns out to be pregnant.
Children Of Men is an electrifying, brilliantly shot film with a downbeat story that oddly contains a final glimpse of hope. It portrays a future London that is recognisable, if seedier and gloomier. Director Alfonso Cuaron stages outstanding set-pieces: a gang attacking a car containing the principal characters, an action sequence in a refugee detention camp. It's extraordinary film-making. The film has gone on to take many accolades after its release, with many critics and associations recognising it as a contemporary sci-fi classic.