In this episode of Forgotten Films, Jed and Ray revisit Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian thriller Children of Men — a movie set in the distant future of… 2027.

Which, as it turns out, is next year.

Clive Owen stars as Theo, a disillusioned bureaucrat drifting through a collapsing Britain where no child has been born in nearly two decades. But when he’s pulled into a mission involving a young refugee carrying the first pregnancy anyone has seen in 18 years, Theo suddenly finds himself protecting the one thing humanity thought it had lost: hope.

We dig into the film’s incredible long takes, the unforgettable car ambush, the chaos of Bexhill, the eerie silence of a world without children, and the powerful moment when the sound of a newborn briefly stops a war.

We also talk about Michael Caine’s scene-stealing turn as Jasper, the film’s surprisingly great soundtrack, its political and social themes, its bleak vision of 2027, and the philosophical question at the heart of the movie: what happens to art, culture, and humanity when there’s no future left to preserve them for?

Ray considers Children of Men one of the best films of the 21st century.

Jed thinks it’s exceptionally well made… and may never want to watch it again.

So is Children of Men a forgotten masterpiece, or is there a reason people don’t revisit it very often?

Plus: Michael Caine impressions, questionable pronunciations, a Lone Star Beer break, and our rewind recommendations for what to watch next.

This episode contains full spoilers for Children of Men.

Forgotten Films is the podcast where we dust off the VHS boxes, crack open a cold one, and revisit movies time left behind to decide whether they’re forgotten… or forgotten for a reason.