Forgotten 18-Year-Old Gem Dubbed ‘Best Sci-Fi Movie of 21st Century’ Is More Relevant Than Ever
Like so many masterpieces, it took time for this movie to get the recognition it deserved.
Ideas about the future, technology, and space change with us. The last two decades have seen a boom in science fiction films – big, original, ambitious, and unnoticed.
IndieWire has compiled a list of the 65 best science fiction films of the 21st century. The list’s creators point out that there are no fantasy-oriented superhero movies at the top. The same goes for the Star Wars and Star Trek space franchises. They only considered true representatives of the genre that are firmly rooted in sci-fi and make prominent use of its tropes and topics.
And although the list includes such undisputed sci-fi hits as Blade Runner 2049, Ex Machina, and Tenet, the top spot was taken by a project that many have forgotten about.
Alfonso Cuarón is a master with inexhaustible creative potential and his name is perhaps one of the most significant ones in the history of cinema right now. Cuarón has been nominated for an Oscar ten times and won four statuettes.
But neither the Oscar-winning Gravity nor Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban are considered to be the director's greatest cinematic achievements – that would be 2006's Children of Men.
What is Children of Men About?
Set in the year 2027, the world is in chaos. Humanity is on the brink of extinction due to mass infertility. London is shaken by clan wars between opposing factions.
The main character comes to the defense of the only pregnant woman in the world, who must be taken to a safe place where she can receive medical care. This woman is humanity's last hope.
Children of Men Still Sparks Discussions Even 18 Years Later
This is perhaps Cuarón’s most intense film, touching on many controversial topics – discussions about this work have not subsided to this day, but for most Cuarón fans, this film is the main proof of the magnitude of his talent.
Today, Children of Men seems not only an undisputed masterpiece of the genre, but also an alarming warning for the future. However, Cuarón's dark fantasy about the migration crisis, totalitarian chaos and widespread female infertility was not immediately appreciated.
But already in 2006, the film was noted for its incredible pace, its non-stop mode, with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki literally running with a handheld camera behind Clive Owen's main character as he rescues perhaps the only pregnant woman in the world.
Children of Men Bombed at The Box Office Due to Poor Marketing
At the time, Universal bosses did not know how to promote the film, and this was the reason for its commercial failure: Children or Men barely broke its budget – at a cost of $76 million, it grossed $69 million worldwide. However, Cuarón did not have time to be upset about this injustice for long – six years later he made Gravity, which grossed $723 million.
Source: IndieWire