With the recent prominence of talk about the zombie apocalypse, and December 21 creeping around the corner, I thought revisiting one of my favorite dystopian movies might serve as a precaution for the imminent and looming End of Days.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron (most known for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”), “Children of Men” is the tale of the world, circa-2007, gone infertile.

Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine, “Children of Men” has slowly gained credibility for its cinematography, plot and unique camera work.

It is dystopian—even post-apocalyptic—and succeeds in portraying the social, cultural and political ramifications of international sterility.

The 2006 film went, for the most part, unnoticed by common moviegoers.

However, those who did see the film rarely find flaws.

Unlike many other dystopian thrillers, “Children of Men” does not serve as a warning.

It does not use government as a scapegoat, nor does it try to place blame on mankind for the world’s inevitable end.

Instead, it examines the social implications of aged civilization, giving attention to how government, religion and criminal gangs would be drastically changed by the realization that they are the world’s last generation.

The film’s plot revolves around Theo (Owen) and his attempts to help the world’s only pregnant girl named Kee escape from London’s gangs and police.

Theo, Kee and company face a litany of violent criminals, all hoping to use Kee’s pregnancy for their own personal gain.

With no place to go, and the hope of salvation, the film’s main characters are forced to submit to London’s immigration police and are eventually deported into the filthy ghettos of Britain.

The vulnerability of these ghettos immediately establishes the action of the film, all culminating in an epic gunfight between British police and rebel gangs.

Theo and Kee sit helplessly in the middle of the action, with their fate in constant question.

Owen delivers a brilliant performance, portraying a hopeless drunk who finds salvation and promise in Kee’s pregnancy.

Michael Caine is equally brilliant, playing the same whimsical old man we’ve come to love in the “Batman” series.

“Children of Men” is full of pop culture reference—animals float in the London sky, reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Animals” artwork; German renditions of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones serve as the film’s primary soundtrack.

However, while the plot and allusion of the film are undoubtedly successful, it is Cuaron’s cinematography that elevates “Children of Men” past other dystopian thrillers.

Apocalyptic London is nothing like we’ve seen before—it does not borrow from some Orwellian novel, nor is it an overt military state.

Instead, it shows the consequences of a world without hope or future, depicting the senseless nature of a species without optimism.

The movie’s most thrilling scenes come from the extended-sequence shots that Cuaron was exploring in prior films.

Three scenes stand out in particular, all shot with one camera in one take.

The result of such filming is immensely successful—I’ve seen the film four times, and each of these scenes still leaves me anxious, afraid and apprehensive.

Blood splatters across the camera lens, machine guns blast from every speaker, the camera runs with the film’s characters—the audience is no longer just an audience.

Instead, they find themselves in the middle of the action, ducking grenades and running from tanks.

It’s difficult to summarize the perfection of “Children of Men” on paper—to truly appreciate the film, one MUST see it.

Regardless of one’s apprehension or love of sci-fi films, “Children of Men” is a must-see for anyone who appreciates good cinema.