In the beginning of the film the viewer is aware that the year is 2027 but yet we do not see many futuristic advancements that we would expect to see. Once Theo steps out of the cafe we see that the future looks more torn down than our modern day society. Immediately we realize something is wrong when there is a gloomy setting with litter filled streets, dirty buses, and rickshaws as means for transportation in London. The controversial depiction of 2027 confuses the audience. The confusion helps to set up the dystopia because it contributes to the chaotic nature of a dystopia.
Not to mention along with the dystopian scene that Cuaròn sets up, the use of media in the opening scene of the movie also sets the depressing mood of the scene. Due to the fact that baby Diego had died, it left practically every character we witnessed very upset or in great distress. Additionally, shortly after the cafe blows up, there are more news reports which are stating that majority cities around the rest of the world are in shambles and that London was the only major city that was still semi-prospering. Therefore not only did Cuaròn use the background scene and Theo’s gloomy mood to set the dystopian society, but he also used media.