From 'Contagion' to '28 Days Later:' 10 pandemic movies that are worth streaming right now
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There’s no more meta way to stave off cabin fever than by watching characters in a fictional world grapple with circumstances beyond their control — you know, like a pandemic.
In fact, pandemic movies are trending: Google searches for “pandemic movies” have skyrocketed, while the hashtag #ContagionMovie is being used more on Twitter now than when the film was released in 2011. On Netflix, pandemic and disaster movies have surged, with films like Contagion and Outbreak leading the way, according to Business Insider.
Sure, some of these movies may seem too uncomfortably real, but they can also give a sense of hope. At the very least, you can keep your mind off reality for a few hours and just watch Matt Damon save the day (again).
Here are 10 pandemic-related movies that are worth streaming right now.
Contagion
Released in 2011, Contagion is not so much about a global pandemic, but rather how incompetent authorities, sensational news media and malicious conspiracy theorists can prevent humanity from finding a cure for a deadly virus. Shockingly, there are a lot of parallels in this movie with the current coronavirus outbreak, while it chronicles what would happen if a new virus was introduced to a world without the immunity or political and social structure to fight it off.
In fact, one of the most notable and effective scenes shows just how a virus could spread from person-to-person without anyone ever noticing. It’s definitely a very chilling movie, especially during today’s very real pandemic. Its all-star cast includes Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Bryan Cranston.
Right now, Cinemax has Contagion available for streaming for free with a seven-day trial through Amazon Prime Video. You have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of Cinemax’s free trial, but you can also sign up for an Amazon Prime membership free trial here to get access for both. However, if you’d like to simply rent or buy this medical thriller, it goes for $4 or $8, respectively, on Prime Video.
Shop it: Contagion, free with Cinemax seven-day trial via Amazon Prime Video, $4 to rent; $8 to buy, amazon.com
Outbreak
Outbreak—starring Dustin Hoffman, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Rene Russo—centers on a viral disease quickly taking over a small town in California after a capuchin monkey is smuggled into the US and starts infecting locals. Once a team of scientists from the CDC come to investigate, they soon realize this new strain of the flu is more deadly than anyone had imagined. Scientists then have to race to find a cure before the infection takes out the country, while Martial Law is declared.
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’re in luck, Outbreak is available to stream at no additional cost. However, if you don’t have Netflix, the streaming giant offers a generous 30-day free trial, so you can try before you decide to subscribe or not.
Shop it: Outbreak, free with Netflix 30-day trial, netflix.com
Flu
The Flu is a South Korean movie that takes place in the city of Bundang, where a deadly strain of the H5N1 virus takes hold of its nearly one million residents. People start to die off within 36 hours of exposure to the virus. The city is quarantined to reduce the epidemic before it hits the rest of the country.
It’s now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost for Prime members only. However, if you don’t have a membership, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to watch this thriller now.
Shop it: Flu, free with Amazon Prime Video 30-day trial, starting at $4 to rent or $10 to buy, amazon.com
12 Monkeys
Based on the 1962 short film La Jetée from French director Chris Marker, 12 Monkeys is one-part pandemic movie and one-part time travel feature film. It follows James Cole (Bruce Willis), a man from 2035 who is haunted by his past and later recruited to travel back in time to prevent the spread of a deadly disease in 1996. However, during his mission to the past, he discovers his role in starting the global pandemic, as he uncontrollably keeps bouncing forwards and backwards in time.
This is one of director Terry Gilliam’s most popular and critically acclaimed films with a list of nominations for Academy Awards, Hugo Awards and Saturn Awards—including an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt—under its belt.
Right now, 12 Monkeys is streaming on Showtime Anytime. The streaming service offers a free 30-day trial, so you can try before you subscribe. After the free trial, it costs $11 per month. In addition, you can rent or buy the movie for $4 or $12 or $4 or $15, respectively, on Amazon Prime Video or VUDU.
Shop it: 12 Monkeys, free with Showtime Anytime 30-day trial, $4 to rent; $12 to buy, amazon.com or $4 to rent; $15 to buy, vudu.com
Osmosis Jones
Osmosis Jones is an animated buddy cop movie where the cops are a white blood cell (voiced by Chris Rock) and a cold suppressant (David Hyde Pierce) who are on the hunt for Thrax (Laurence Fishburne), a deadly virus that enters a live-action zookeeper named Frank (Bill Murray). The movie alternates between animation and live action, while the protagonists must work together to find and kill off the virus before the zookeeper’s temperature rises over 108 degrees and his body starts to shut down.
While Osmosis Jones is not about a global pandemic per se, it is about how our bodies fight off deadly viruses and infections so we can continue living. Osmosis Jones is free to stream on Starz via a free seven-day trial. Right now, they’re running an exclusive limited time offer: $5 a month for three months. If you choose to subscribe long-term, the service costs $9 per month.
Shop it: Osmosis Jones, free with seven-day Starz trial, starz.com
It Comes At Night
Set in the aftermath of a global pandemic, It Comes At Night taps into our general mistrust of others during times of dread and hardships. The movie is a slow burn that follows a small family with limited supplies living deep in the forest coming across another small family that needs shelter and medicine. The two families must work together and build trust to survive, while fear and panic slowly set in—an allegory for modern times.
Starring Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Riley Keough, this movie is not for the faint of heart. It Comes At Night is now streaming on Netflix, so if you have a subscription, you’re good to go to watch it. However, Netflix offers a free 30-day trial in case you don’t.
Shop it: It Comes At Night, free with 30-day Netflix trial, netflix.com
Carriers
Released in 2009, Carriers follows a group of friends trying to get away from a pandemic before it catches up with them. On their journey, they discover that man is just as lethal as the virus itself.
Carriers—which is one-half pandemic movie and one-half road trip movie—stars a young Chris Pine just after his breakthrough movie, the Star Trek reboot, was released in theaters a few months earlier. It also features Emily VanCamp, Christopher Meloni and Piper Perabo, as well as a very young Kiernan Shipka in an early movie role.
Interested in Carriers? It’s streaming on Netflix right now. But if you don’t have a Netflix subscription, the streaming service offers a 30-day free trial, so you can still catch it.
Shop it: Carriers, free with 30-day Netflix trial, netflix.com
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The first movie in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, Rise of the Planet of the Apes takes place just before a viral-based Alzheimer's treatment mutates and nearly wipes out all of humanity. However, instead of treating Alzheimer's, the mutation gives apes sentience. Bummer.
At its core, Rise of the Planet of the Apes lets audiences imagine how humans can become the downfall of their own existence through hubris, greed and neglect of the natural world.
You can stream Rise of the Planet of the Apes on HBO Now, but if you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial.
Shop it: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, free with seven-day HBO Now trial, hbo.com
Children of Men
Taking place 18 years after every pregnant woman mysteriously miscarries and a flu pandemic ravaged the globe, humanity is on the edge of extinction because of global human infertility. However, when Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) discovers an undocumented immigrant (Clare-Hope Ashitey) who just might be the key to human survival, she’ll stop at nothing to keep the young woman safe from the British government after she recruits former activist and her estranged husband (Clive Owen) to escort them to safety to one-day find a cure.
Based on the book of the same name, Children of Men is director Alfonso Cuarón’s finest work yet with thoughtful symbolism and relevant messaging, thrilling camerawork and biting satire throughout its 109-minute running time.
The movie is available to stream on Starz for free with a seven-day free trial.
Shop it: Children of Men, free with seven-day Starz trial, starz.com
28 Days Later
A man named Jim (Cillian Murphy) is just waking up from a coma in the hospital after having survived an accident—but he’s unaware that a highly contagious virus has taken over Great Britain in the meantime. He finds himself alone and wandering around London looking for signs of life. What he ends up finding is a new reality for the survivors while he tries to piece together his life and find his family in the face of a global pandemic.
From writer Alex Garland (Annihilation) and director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), 28 Days Later is a haunting and eerie look at society after it collapses. It’s also considered one of the best British movies ever made, according to TimeOut London.
Currently, 28 Days Later is available to stream on Hulu. However, if you don’t have a Hulu subscription, the service offers a free seven-day trial. If you choose to keep Hulu, it costs $6 per month with limited ads or $12 per month with no ads.
Even if you have the lower-tier plan, there are no commercials when you’re streaming a movie, so you can watch this pandemic horror flick without any interruptions.
Shop it: 28 Days Later, free with seven-day Hulu trial, hulu.com
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