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... but I saw it on DVD. Don't have HBO.
Yes, it is a science fiction movie. But "modern" science fiction has forgotten that the science is only there to get to the fiction. We're slowly getting back to a new golden age of Sci-Fi, where we don't have to talk about trilithium crystals or anti-matter to talk about complex drama. Alfonso Cuaran has interviewed in length about removing any explanation for infertility or the nature of the 'human' project so that the movie could entirely focus on the characters. I'm assuming that you've seen it, but *Spoiler Alert* just in case.
This movie is really about Theo and his crisis of faith. In the beginning of the movie Theo's life is stable, in that he has a job, he has a rich & supportive (but distant) brother, a father who's always there for him. However, since the death of his son, he has lost his faith. he's an alcoholic with no dreams or ambitions
Over the course of the movie, he's forced into a mission he doesn't want to be part of. However, as he sees the urgency of the mission, he finds something to live for. One by one, he loses the very people that have supported him, but even in this crisis his faith keeps him alive. When he dies, he dies having faith in the future.
Also, the set design and cinematography were awesome. Especially in long sweeping camera scenes without cuts. A few scenes of note: The scene where his father explains the death of Theo's son while Theo is listening in, pouring a bottle of whisky in the next room. The scene is really about Theo's reaction, not just the character background.
And: The long scene during the "insurgency" where the camera pans behind Theo as he escapes gunfire. Notice that's 10 minutes of special effects without a noticeable cut.
