Explore The Unlikely Similarities Between 'Logan' & 'Children Of Men''

In comparing “Logan” and “Children of Men,” analysis deviates from the plot and performances to a deeper, more intrinsic understanding of what both films are saying and how they say it. With similar main character story arcs, James Mangold and Alfonso Cuarón’s films bear striking similarities in how their scripts lead to the culmination of a moral and spiritual journey. When justifying the ends by which a film concludes, we need not look further than where we begin.

In a video essay by Lessons From The Screenplay, “Logan” and “Children of Men” are described as similar by the commonality they share in introducing their lead characters with a set of identifiable qualities, and inverting those ideas and questions throughout the length of the story. With “Children of Men,” Cuarón places us in a world identifying with Theo Faron, an apathetic man living in a future world leading him to be devoid of hope for humanity. Through his experiences and his heroes’ arc, Theo’s transformation and subsequent repentance and understanding of the stakes at play morph his character. Ultimately making a necessary sacrifice to better the humanity he had once abandoned.

Similarly, the titular character of “Logan” finds our hero also devoid of hope and love of family. A reluctant hero, Logan finds through his arc to open up to the love of family, sacrificing much in order to save those around him; a new generation of mutants. “Logan” and “Children of Men” bear subtle similarities. Both leads are reluctant heroes, who, through new information, character introductions, and internal conflict, understand the cost of what is at stake in their respective worlds. Humanity and the people around them drive a character arc that leads them to the antithesis of where they began. If we look closely in the beginning of films, we can surmise where we may be led, culminating in a powerful, reflexive closure.