Children of Men

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Children of Men

R

Released Dec 25, 2006

1h 49m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

252 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of Earth's population; He must face down his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope from danger.

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Critics Consensus

Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live.

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Christopher Orr

The Atlantic

Children of Men founders in its latter moments -- not a lot, but enough. Its failure is less one of plot than of something deeper, a composing idea to undergird the plot.

Apr 1, 2015

Full Review

Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

A film that has much to recommend it, not least the proof it offers, as if any more were needed, that Alfonso Cuarón is one of the most visually inspired directors working today.

Apr 1, 2015

Full Review

Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Alfonso Cuaron stages some terrific set-pieces, and the production designers deserve credit for making London in 2027 look like the grunge capital of the world, ie, like now, only more so. One small problem: I didn't believe any of it.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2015

Full Review

Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

It's got great cinematography, acting, etc. However, it's very murky regarding race and gender and so many bits could be trimmed to make it less of a chore.

Rated: 3/5

May 23, 2025

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Children of Men is an achingly, almost dreamily optimistic film in the face of such brutally cynical conditions, offering a humanist message that neutralizes political debate.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Cuaron takes this dense material and fashions an exceptional film.

Jan 7, 2022

Full Review

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Issy J

They certainly got their moneys worth out of Clive Owen , in practically every scene which is welcome as he’s a terrific actor. Great story in a dystopian world which we can all see coming to a city near you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

Full Review

shane o

The acting and dialog at the start of the film is questionable and a little confusing it’s hard to follow what exactly is going on. The idea of the film is great and luckily it is saved by an excellent action sense at the end . Wish there were a few more answers given.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

Full Review

Hayden W.

Some of the best one shots I’ve ever seen.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

HameZz O

It was great. Makes you think about a lot of things and while it might not give you answers to some questions, I think that's probably the point. The cinematography was amazing especially the long takes.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/26/25

Full Review

Benjamin H

Under the stunning direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men is a beautifully shot (fantastic one-take action sequences), incredibly acted and layered thriller that is packed with emotional depth and continuous suspense. There were a couple of elements that could have been handled with a little bit more flair, but all in all this was a brilliant and hugely compelling film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Andy M

What a complete waste of an evening. Loads of unanswered questions, starting with why there are no women in the whole world having babies, why everyone is killing each other at random, why the security forces just let a woman with a “miraculously new born baby” continue to walk out into the killing fields of battle rather than offering her protection, why terrorists want a baby anyhow, what they will do with it, what is the British government position to create this mayhem, etc… No logic to the plot, ridiculous, confusing and conflicting storylines, an unfulfilled ending, a poor script, bad acting… I could go on and on. If you want to watch this type of storyline with a far more convincing cast, just watch the daily world news.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

Full Review

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Alfonso Cuarón

Director

Clive Owen

Theo

Julianne Moore

Julian

Michael Caine

Jasper

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Luke

Charlie Hunnam

Patric

Children of Men: Official Clip - Escaping The Fishes

2:06

Children of Men: Official Clip - The Plan for Kee

2:49

Children of Men: Official Clip - Miracle Cease Fire

2:59

Children of Men: Official Clip - Can't Trust The Fishes

2:12

Children of Men: Official Clip - Kee Opens Up

1:51

Children of Men: Official Clip - We're Safe

2:52

Children of Men: Official Clip - Luke Murders Jasper

1:38

Children of Men: Official Clip - It's a Girl

2:06

Children of Men: Official Clip - Cafe Bomb Blast

1:38

Children of Men: Official Clip - Kee Is Pregnant

1:05

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Synopsis

When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of Earth's population; He must face down his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope from danger.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Producer: Marc Abraham, Eric Newman, Hilary Shor, Iain Smith, Tony Smith
Screenwriter: Alfonso Cuarón, David Arata, Timothy J. Sexton, Hawk Ostby, Mark Fergus
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Beacon Communications
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Some Drug Use|Strong Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $35.3M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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