Contagion is the best kind of thriller – one that could happen in real life. Hell, it kinda did in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut the world down for over a year and killed millions of people. That pretty much happens in Contagion, a chilling 2011 picture that follows the outbreak of a deadly virus and the way various scientists, doctors, reporters, and others deal with its effects.
Among them is Mitch (Matt Damon), the husband of whom many believe was patient zero, Ben (Gwyneth Paltrow), who unwittingly spread the virus before she died; Dr. Ellis Cheever (Kate Winslet), who is tasked with finding out who Beth made contact with before she was guaranteed; and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), a conspiracy theorist who exploits the pandemic for financial gain.
These are just some of the characters you’ll meet in Contagion, which casts a wide net in its depiction of a worldwide outbreak of a new disease no one can quite figure out. Unlike most thrillers, the antagonist here is largely invisible and seemingly everywhere at once. Time is the other enemy, and it’s gripping to see some of the characters race against it as they struggle to find a cure.
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