Children of Men (2006)

In 2013, I experienced The Last of Us. A story about a stone-hearted mercenary named Joel, who lost his daughter at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. He is connected to a group called the fireflies, who task Joel with transporting a young girl to Seattle. Why? Because she is immune to the infection. I was completely unaware at this time of all the inspiration Last of Us drew from Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men. A film that's very, very similar. Instead of zombies, the world has turned to anarchy due to the fact that no children have been born in 18 years. Instead of being immune to an infection, Kee is pregnant. Theo must transport her to the safety of the mythic ‘human project.’ The scariest thing about this film in 2020 is how realistic it is. I’m not sure if the same could be said for those who saw it in 2006, but the film's vision of 2027 seems right around the corner. It’s devastating and our protagonist Theo, who’s fear of death is relevant in the first moments of the film, understands like the audience that this is not a safe time. The militarized police state keeps London’s wheels turning but simply getting coffee could lead to your death. Among all this terror Theo finds hope in Kee and their mission. Theo goes from being a ‘citizen’ to a fugitive and it’s in this transition that his passion for humanity is ignited, which is what this film is all about really. Humanity hanging on the balance. 

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