Nothing goes out of date more quickly than films set in the future. Big-screen visions of tomorrow always reflect the era in which they were made – hence the disco outfits in Flash Gordon. Most soon become quaint relics rather than uncanny prophecies of the shape of things to come. But then, on the other hand, there is Children of Men. Alfonso Cuarón’s feverish dystopian chase thriller is set in a decade’s time, in 2027, but it also came out a decade ago. By now, we should be chuckling at how far off-target its predictions were, both in their overall picture and their background minutiae. Instead, it’s tempting to ask whether Cuarón had access to a crystal ball.

Children of Men is one of the most acclaimed films of recent times: BBC Culture’s poll of international critics placed it as the 13th best film of the 21st Century. Partly, that’s because of the shocking immersive style of its brilliantly choreographed action sequences, which were shot in long unbroken takes. It’s also because of how believable its depiction of a cluttered and grimy near-future was, but if Children of Men seemed accurate 10 years ago, it seems a lot more accurate today.