Requires thinking beyond what's depicted in the movie

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2007)

The movie "Children of Men" is very gritty, dark, violent, and some images are rather shocking. If you consider just what's shown in the movie, then it may feel unsatisfying. I've heard from a lot of people that they didn't like the movie or didn't "get it" because so little about the background was explained.
I think I liked just that, because it made wonder about those things myself. The effects that world-wide infertility would have on society are very difficult to contemplate.
The plot of the movie feels very short. Not very much happens, but related to it is a vast number of thought experiments to perform. So, if you want to be spoon-fed a story that wraps up nicely , you're not going to like this movie. If, however, you enjoy going through what-if scenarios and their outcomes on topics ranging from economics to politics, from psychology to sociology, "Children of Men" may be just your thing.