Contagion

2011 • 106 minutes

About this movie

When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from business in Hong Kong, what she thought was jet lag takes a virulent turn. Two days later, she's dead in the ER and the doctors tell her shocked and grieving husband (Matt Damon) they have no idea why. Soon more cases are reported as the virus begins to spread. Researchers mobilize to break the code of this unique biological pathogen as it continues to mutate. Deputy Director Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) tries to allay the growing panic despite his own personal concerns, and must send a brave young doctor (Kate Winslet) into harm's way. As the death toll escalates and people struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones in a society breaking down, one activist blogger (Jude Law) claims the public isn't getting the truth about what's really going on, and sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear as infectious as the virus itself.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Ratings and reviews

You have to wonder about the bigger picture...the "what if...?"...That said, the general public will always be ready to consume what ever is laid before them. If you find yourself emotionally impacted by this film then you may have experienced fear mongering. Historically the pandemic flu scares of the most recent past have been bought and paid for.....without much success I might add. As for the acting...even Matt Damon couldnt save this poorly made flop.

I find it unfortunate that this film depicts independent media as corrupt and financially motivated; that it depicts vaccine development and manufacturing as being beyond reproach and exclusively motivated by concern for people's health; and depicts alternative therapies as greed-driven and ineffective. There is far too much people do not know about how the human body works, Western medicine operates on a great deal of assumption. A health system that is more ecological, which would maximize the body's innate abilities, would be a much better model for general health. However, my criticism of the message aside, as far as movies go, this was not terrible. I just don't want to support something that carries the message that mainstream sources of information should not be questioned or doubted.

I loved the suspense and desperation in this film. I felt my heart race as I followed along and hoped for the doctors to find a cure, and I felt my heart ache as I watched the virus spread. I liked how they started the film with day 2 and went out of sequence that way, and though it was a bit choppy with all the different sub plots going on, it definitely piqued my interest and made me stay for the finish.