- Alfonso Cuaron’s 2006 dystopian thriller Children of Men, despite being a box office flop, is considered one of the best movies of the 21st century.
- Cuaron’s film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.
- <a href="https://comicvibe.com/the-biggest-names-in-food-entertainment-and-culture-come-together-at-the-2026-food-network-new-york-city-wine-food-festival-presented-by-invesco-qqq/” title=”The Biggest Names in Food, Entertainment and Culture Come Together at the 2026 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ”>Entertainment Weekly ranked Children of Men as the fourth best thriller movie of all time, praising its meticulously choreographed action sequences and grimy production design.
Alfonso Cuarón, celebrated as one of the best directors of his time, has only made five films in the 21st century, but each of those stand among the best of the past 25 years.
His star-making turn as the director of Y tu mamá también sparked an impressive run where he landed a chance at directing the third Harry Potter installment: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
But it was his 2006 dystopian thriller Children of Men that sits among the best of the genre. The film had a budget of $76 million and only recouped $70 million at the box office, making it a flop, but one that would live on as one of the most impressive films of the century.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography, the team for Best Editing and Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby for Best Adapted Screenplay.
While Lubezki was nominated and Children of Men has one of the most iconic shots in cinema history might not have been created the way everyone thinks. Cuarón revealed the “secret” behind the long take or “oner” from the movie.
“Maybe I’m spilling a big secret, but sometimes it’s more than what it looks like. The important thing is how you blend everything and how you keep the perception of a fluid choreography through all of these different pieces,” he said.
‘Children of Men’ Named Among Best Thrillers
Entertainment Weekly ranked Children of Men at No. 4 on its list of the 50 best thriller movies of all time, behind only Psycho, Jaws and Dog Day Afternoon.
“The precise chaos of its execution — particularly its meticulously choreographed, long-take action sequences and grimy production design — ensures that Children of Men grips you from start to finish. It’s a hauntingly beautiful story about fragments of hope in a crumbling society,”Entertainment Weekly wrote.
Children of Men might not have won at the box office or tracked down Academy Awards, but it endures as one of the best thrillers of all time and one of the best movies of the 21st century. It also owns an impressive 92% from critics and 85% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Sep 21, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
