As the U.K. enters its third week of lockdown, more and more people are watching films that resemble our new ‘pandemic’ reality. One of the most watched movies at the moment is Contagion, made in 2011 about a virus similar to our own. Here are suggestions for five other pandemic movies to enjoy.
1. 28 Days Later
This 2002 movie, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris, is one of the best pandemics films of the new century. A virus is accidentally released in the UK by a group of activists, and affects the whole of society. Twenty eight days later Jim, the main character, wakes up in a London hospital to find himself in a new reality. The capital is completely deserted. Jim ends up joining a group of survivors, and we follow his battle to survive. Although the movie depicts a post-apocalyptic scenario, its empty streets are not that far from what we are witnessing now!
2. Outbreak
This 1995 classic, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, stars Dustin Hoffman. It focuses on an airborne virus called Motaba (first discovered in Africa) and its spread through a town in California. Motaba, just like coronavirus, is believed to have come from animals, though in this case monkeys. The main character, a disease expert, and his ex-wife are in charge of trying to contain the spread of the virus, while also fighting off an army that wants the virus to survive!
3. It comes at Night
This 2017 horror film, directed by Trey Edward Shults and starring Joel Edgerton, was positively received by critics and the public. In the film, an outbreak has shaken the whole planet and fear reigns over the land. Sounds familiar? Paul, the main character, his wife Sarah and their teenage son Travis protect themselves from the pandemic by isolating themselves in the woods. Scared of the outside world, they try to survive within a fragile reality that could shatter at any moment. Although what we are undergoing now is less dangerous as what Paul and his family are fighting, we will recognise the need to isolate and protect those we love.
4. Twelve Monkeys
This 1995 sci-fi film, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, is one of the best ones you could watch right now. The story is set in the future, after a deadly virus has killed almost all of humanity. People are forced to live underground, and it is believed that a group called the “Army of the Twelve Monkeys” released the virus. The main character, Cole, is selected to go back to the past to investigate what caused the outbreak. Although the scenario is futuristic and way scarier, it is not that far from what could happen in real life. Maybe not with COVID-19, but another virus could become that dangerous!
5. Shaun of the Dead
To end on a more lighthearted and uplifting note, this 2004 horror comedy, directed by Edgar Wright, was loved by both critics and the public. The movie – starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – follows the exploits of two Londoners – the unlucky Shaun and his best friend Ed – as they experience a zombie apocalypse. The two friends go out one morning to begin an adventurous weekend, only to find the streets of London in complete chaos. The wall-to-wall news about the outbreak; the people panicking; and the problems with transport are all things we will recognise from our own crisis. And yes OK we don’t have any zombies to contend with, but those TFL trains are scarce, and it’s not easy to get toilet rolls and canned food! But we should take inspiration from Shaun and Ted and try and meet it all with a smile and why not, even an occasional laugh!