Parents' Guide to

Children of Men

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Gripping, violent look at the future. Adults only.

Movie R 2006 109 minutes
Children of Men Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 10 parent reviews

age 16+

Hope, faith, grace

Common Sense Media’s analysis does this film a disservice by saying positive messages are “not present”. The plot of this awe-inspiring masterpiece centers around hope and faith in a world that has embraced despair and chaos - or, as Jasper so eloquently puts it: “Everything is a mythical, cosmic battle between faith and chance.” It’s a story of imperfect people sacrificing everything — including their own lives — for hope. People helping each other and forming bonds and being kind and good and human despite the hopelessness of the world around them. The cinematography is pure magic. The actors do an amazing job convincing us of the stakes. The world-building portrays a realistically grim, hostile, dirty future. The plot puts you through an edge-of-your seat, real-time mission that feels both thrilling and terrifying. But the glue holding this movie together are the themes of hope, faith, and grace. It’s an apocalyptic nativity story. It’s probably my favorite movie.

This title has:

Great messages
6 people found this helpful.
age 13+
One of the best films I’ve ever seen. I love the premise, the acting was great, and the ending was incredibly satisfying. I think it’s a must-watch. I guess the problem with the content is the violence, which is very intense but mostly bloodless. A couple times the violence spikes but it’s overall not too common. There’s a lot of talk of infertility and pregnancy, but we never see any actual sex. There’s a bit of strong language but it’s not consistent. Overall, I highly recommend this movie and I hope that people will continue to discover it.
2 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (14):

Working from a screenplay he co-wrote (based on P.D. James' novel), director Alfonso Cuarón paints a gritty, paranoid, and occasionally hopeful picture. He draws on modern anxieties about war, terrorism, immigration, race, class, pollution, and technology. The group's struggle to reach the Human Project includes some of the most graphic, gripping, and engrossing filmmaking in recent memory. Cuarón's documentary-style camera work brings the viewer right into the violent action.

Caine's character is a bright spot -- though caring for his catatonic wife in isolation, he remains cheerful and passionate, enjoying food, music, and occasional company with heartfelt glee (helped along, perhaps, by the large quantities of marijuana that he smokes). The movie's abrupt ending, while disorienting at first, offers relief from the film's intensity. Dark, intense and violent, Children of Men is most certainly not for kids -- and even most teens. Pregnant women and new parents also might want to avoid it, due to the focus on threats to children and the intense birth scene.

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