The idea at the heart of Children of Men is unclear. “Hope” is an easy answer, but too easy. Cuarón realizes his vision well; we the viewers feel like we’re living within the gray capitalist endgame, our hope of rebirth both metaphorically and literally almost gone. Sometimes, as in the car-in-reverse scene, the feeling is viscerally overwhelming. But there’s a philosophical thinness here that disappoints. Not every movie need develop its worldview explicitly, and Cuarón is generally suspicious of excessive narrative, but for Children of Men to touch on the looming themes of our time—xenophobia, race, the failure of technology—and then stop short feels like a missed opportunity. Resolution is not necessary. Questions in complete sentences are. 7
Children of Men, starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine, Universal Pictures, 2006. Reviewed July 9, 2025.