Peacock Sci-Fi Thriller Epic Adaptation Is The Most Realistic Dystopian Future
As we fast approach the year 2027, I’m sorry to say that Children of Men may end up becoming a dated dystopian sci-fi film over the next decade. At the very least, and after rewatching the dystopian thriller on Peacock for the first time in years, I’m praying that writer/director Alfonso Cuarón’s take on the future as depicted in Children of Men never happens thanks to his adaptation of the cautionary tale told in the P.D. James novel of the same name. It’s so easy (and fun) to think of the end times as an action-packed romp through no man’s land with souped-up nitro trucks, mohawks, and flamethrowers, but Children of Men’s approach, involving the bleak socio-economic semantics of a world in distress, is the furthest thing from fun you’ll watch on Peacock this week.
Barren In Every Sense Of The Word
Children of Men centers on Clive Owen’s Thelonius “Theo” Faron, a downtrodden bureaucrat and former activist living a cynical life in a post-war UK that functions as a militarized police state. Facing a global infertility crisis, the community becomes distressed when “Baby” Diego (Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi), the youngest living person in the world, passes away shortly after his 18th birthday. Willing to live out the rest of his days behind a desk, everything changes for Theo when he’s kidnapped by an aggressive refugee rights group known as the Fishes, led by his ex-wife, Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore).
Known to have been a force of nature as an activist before giving up on his idealism, Theo is tasked with transporting Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the first woman to become pregnant in 18 years, to the ever-elusive Human Project. Operating entirely in secret, the Human Project is hellbent on solving the infertility crisis, and needs to protect Kee at all costs. While this sounds like a daunting enough task to undertake, it’s worth noting that Children of Men (streaming on Peacock) only gets more complicated because Kee is a refugee, and belongs in a concentration camp according to the government.
Unlikely Comic Relief
It’s not all doom-and-gloom in Children of Men, however, as Michael Caine’s Jasper Palmer breaks the tension whenever he’s seen on screen. With a head of long, flowing grey hair, Jasper -Theo’s old friend and the film’s eccentric voice of reason- doesn’t care how serious things get so long as somebody pulls his finger and shares his enthusiasm for a potent marijuana strain he calls “strawberry cough” while helping Theo figure out his next moves.
Breathtaking Cinematography
While the most convenient way to stream Children of Men would be on a streaming service like Peacock, I strongly suggest watching it on a screen with a resolution larger than what the average iPhone has to offer. Children of Men doesn’t shy away from long single-shot sequences that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat as Theo and Kee run to safety from mortar explosions, militarized police, and armed citizens belonging to the resistance.
Having recently watched Children of Men on Peacock with my projector, I’ll have to weigh in and say that the practical effects aren’t nearly as impressive as all of the propaganda littering the roadways, hanging over the city streets on billboards, and playing on armored bus television screens to continually indoctrinate every citizen to do the government’s bidding as aggressively as possible. These background details are ever-present and make you feel like you’re living in a surveillance state while absorbing the story.
Streaming Children Of Men
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If you’re looking for a dystopian sci-fi epic where the future is bleak, safe houses aren’t safe, and the streets are littered with propaganda and violence but not without a glimmer of hope found amongst the wreckage, then Children Of Men should be the next film on your watch list if you haven’t seen it already. Better yet, if you have seen it already, then you’re overdue for a rewatch.
And when you need a post-apocalyptic palate cleanse, all you need to do is dig up your old Road Warrior DVD and do some breathing exercises.
You can stream Children of Men on Peacock as of this writing.
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