HBO’s new dystopian TV series THE LAST OF US is an adaptation of a dystopian video game that was inspired in part by Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian film CHILDREN OF MEN, a strikingly timely 2006 thriller whose consideration of cynicism and hope at the world’s end has only grown more timely in the intervening years. So we’re returning to the source of this cross-medium journey through apocalyptic hellscapes, in a conversation about how and why Cuarón’s film continues to resonate, from its efficient worldbuilding and nuanced politics to its well-wrought humor and visceral filmmaking style. Plus, an alternate pairing suggestion in Feedback inspires some live brainstorming of a hypothetical COCAINE BEAR episode.
Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about CHILDREN OF MEN, THE LAST OF US, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Outro music: “Bless the Beasts and Children” by the Carpenters
Works Cited
• “Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men Is a Dystopian Masterpiece,” by Abraham Josephine Riesman (vulture.com)
• “Scenic Routes: Children of Men,” by Mike D’Angelo (avclub.com)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#312: Tales as Old as Time, Pt. 1 — Beauty and the Beast (1991)
#311: Our 2021 Top 10s, Part 2
#310: Our 2021 Top 10s, Part 1
#309: Carnival Games, Pt. 2 — Nightmare Alley (2021)
#308: Carnival Games, Pt. 1 — Nightmare Alley (1947)
#307: Model Males, Pt. 2 — The Power of the Dog
#306: Model Males, Pt. 1 — Deliverance
#305: White Lies, Pt. 2 — Passing
#304: White Lies, Pt. 1 — Imitation of Life
#303: Dual Duels Pt. 2 — Last Night In Soho
#302: Dual Duels Pt. 1 — Persona
#301: Just Deserts Pt. 2 — Dune (2021)
#300: Just Deserts Pt. 1 — Lawrence of Arabia
#299: Family History, Pt. 2 – The Many Saints of Newark
#298: Family History, Pt. 1 – The Godfather, Part II
#297: Bet Your Life Pt. 2: The Card Counter
#296: Bet Your Life Pt. 1: Hard Eight
#295: Missing Movies + Strange Days (1995)
#294: Memory Machines Pt. 2 — Reminiscence
#293: Memory Machines Pt. 1 — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Best Song Podcast
The Secret History Of Hollywood
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Deep Blue Sea - The Podcast
The Queer Quadrant