Contagion (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Featuring an all star cast who give some really solid performances, this is a very sharp, realistic, intense, medical thriller epidemic film from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. Since he's behind it, you know it's gonna look great, be stylish, and be one of the better… More
  Featuring an all star cast who give some really solid performances, this is a very sharp, realistic, intense, medical thriller epidemic film from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. Since he's behind it, you know it's gonna look great, be stylish, and be one of the better films of its type, especially since there's a high degree of medical and scientific accuracy on display. The film follows the origins of an unknown but highly lethal virus as it spreads across the world at a fast rate, with the efforts of scientists, researchers, and others as they all find a way to deal with the situation as society begins to succumb to the disease and break down. This is, in many ways, a horror film in the same vein as something like Children of Men. This isn't quite as fierce and intense as that one, but it's still pretty frightening at times. It does start to lose some steam by the third act, but it never falters enoguh to totally kill the overall grade. Had it not (slightly) dipped though, I'd definitely be giving this an extra half star. Cliff Martinez's score is awesome, and really highlights the tense atmosphere of the situation, the cinematography and editing are superb, and Sodderbergh's direction is dynamite. I'm not going to list all of the cast memebers here, because there's too many to take the time ot list, but there's lots of A-listers and award winners and nominees (Oscars, Golden Globes, etc) here, and, even though only some get more screen time than others, all bring something to the table, and it's great seeing this much talent actually be put ot good use, unlike the way it is wasted in the recent films of Garry Marshall. All in all, this is some terrific, nightmarish stuff. Definitely check it out. It'll make you think, but probably a bit paranoid as well.

• Anthony L

  
  No action, no unnecessary heroics, no Monkeys, already Contagion was the grown up version of the 'Epidemic' movie. It is intelligent, beautifully filmed, well acted (by a great cast), is full of suspense, completely realistic and believable and is a real breath of fresh air… More
  No action, no unnecessary heroics, no Monkeys, already Contagion was the grown up version of the 'Epidemic' movie. It is intelligent, beautifully filmed, well acted (by a great cast), is full of suspense, completely realistic and believable and is a real breath of fresh air that the genres needed. Seems the public don't want intelligence though, shame.

• Alexis N

  
  I watched this on the plane, maybe it wasn't the best idea. I was convinced everyone was going to get me sick.. when I woke up. I fell asleep half way through this movie. Saw Gwyneth get her head cut off in yet another movie, took a nap, woke up to find some pig, bird, bat thing… More
  I watched this on the plane, maybe it wasn't the best idea. I was convinced everyone was going to get me sick.. when I woke up. I fell asleep half way through this movie. Saw Gwyneth get her head cut off in yet another movie, took a nap, woke up to find some pig, bird, bat thing started the whole outbreak. It had an all-star cast, so there's that.

• Justin Y

  
  Steven Soderbergh's <i>Contagion</i> goes epidemic and spreads the virus in a matter of minutes.<p>Jumping right in at what is considered day 2 of the outbreak and then spanning another 100+ days of unfolding the issue, <i>Contagion</i> wastes little… More
  Steven Soderbergh's <i>Contagion</i> goes epidemic and spreads the virus in a matter of minutes.<p>Jumping right in at what is considered day 2 of the outbreak and then spanning another 100+ days of unfolding the issue, <i>Contagion</i> wastes little to no time at getting to the point. The story plays out with a high sense of realism, and while this does make for an intriguing 100 minutes, the film lacks that extra punch and sense of excitement.</p><p>What does help pass the time is the plethora of characters to follow. Each, more or less, has their own subplot, thanks to the epidemic taking place worldwide, but there is interaction between some of them from time to time.</p><p>With a number of characters to go around, there isn't a lead to single out. It really is a collaborative effort made up of many recognizable faces. There are solid performances to go around; however, no one stands out above anyone else.</p>Ultimately, <i>Contagion</i> has the makings of an epic movie; however, it doesn't necessarily come across like one. Still, it is a picture to behold.</p>

• Albert K

  
  "Nothing spreads like fear"... that's right except the fear isn't conveyed to the audience in a way where the epidemic has a claustrophobic and isolating quality. Don't get me wrong, "Contagion" is expertly crafted with didactic, sharp dialogue, an… More
  "Nothing spreads like fear"... that's right except the fear isn't conveyed to the audience in a way where the epidemic has a claustrophobic and isolating quality. Don't get me wrong, "Contagion" is expertly crafted with didactic, sharp dialogue, an incredible ensemble, and stable direction. Kate Winslet? Matt Damon? Count me in... The story is absolutely compelling and engaging. The most realistic movie you're gonna face in terms of an epidemic. "Contagion" covers all spectrums of such a situation -- political, national security, depravity, the infected and non-infected. As the movie rolls on, it seamlessly swings its attention all over the place with a very steady-hand and level-headed approach. Unfortunately, the only time the gravity of the epidemic of it becoming an extermination of the human race is conveyed, is only when characters are uttering numbers and statistics of the atrocities or the audience's viewings of only a few of the key characters. Yes, of course we see depravity running its course through numerous unnamed and unknown characters but to witness the entirety of our world to be brought in humility through an exterminating virus without a great impact on emotion is a big gaping flaw. Call me heartless. I know there were plenty of key characters that were shown dealing with this virus, but as for the other millions of people that are affected? I'm not expecting a huge scale of people bowing down in tears and crying out to God, but I was expecting much more of a riveting impact on my senses and emotion. For some characters, like for instance the Emhoff family, there IS character development and emotions flying around... but on the other sectors of the story, not so much. Otherwise, "Contagion" was a highly engaging thriller that fails deliver the weight of the fear and emotions of a possible apocalyptic disease throughout the entire movie.

• Stuart B

  
  Very good film. Thought provoking and scary. How easily something like this could happen.

• Sergio G

  
  What a great cast for this Steven Soderbergh movie that emulates all the consequences that could bring one of those viruses like AH1N1. That caughts everyone unaware, no vaccines available, no time for research, panic, terrorims and conspirancy theories. The approach is very good, the… More
  What a great cast for this Steven Soderbergh movie that emulates all the consequences that could bring one of those viruses like AH1N1. That caughts everyone unaware, no vaccines available, no time for research, panic, terrorims and conspirancy theories. The approach is very good, the direction is fantastic. Unfortunatelly we have seen this kind of movies many times. This view is different and I like it.

• Christopher H

  
  Feels like "28 Days Later", except nobody turns into zombies. What I admire about the film is its attention to realism, the filmmakers also do a pretty sublime job at building up tension as the deadly disease spreads across the world. The film also benefits from a… More
  Feels like "28 Days Later", except nobody turns into zombies. What I admire about the film is its attention to realism, the filmmakers also do a pretty sublime job at building up tension as the deadly disease spreads across the world. The film also benefits from a star-studded ensemble cast that do a pretty good job overall, despite their individual characters lacking development. Unfortunately, where the actors succeed, the film fails. Scott Z. Burns, who previously worked with director Steven Soderbergh on the corporate espionage thriller "The Informant", struggles to balance a complex and multi-layered plot. This leaves the overall message of the movie hard to decipher and none of the film's multiple story arcs are given adequate resolutions. Combines this with the film lacking any big pay-off, the movie drags and seems to sizzle out in the second-half. It is almost as if the movie is missing a third act. Contagion comes off as "Traffic" but without most of the intrigue or emotional resonance that made that film good.

• Alexander D

  
  What makes CONTAGION so engaging is how understandable and crystal clear it is. I began watching, nervously expecting a film similar to Michael Crichton's 1960s novel The Andromeda Strain, a work about a plague that only a doctor of the medical field could possibly comprehend.… More
  What makes CONTAGION so engaging is how understandable and crystal clear it is. I began watching, nervously expecting a film similar to Michael Crichton's 1960s novel The Andromeda Strain, a work about a plague that only a doctor of the medical field could possibly comprehend. Instead, it seems more similar to Stephen King's 1970s novel The Stand, or its television mini-series adaptation, with a different sense of horror.

• Tim S

  
  Contagion is a film that I've been hearing about positively since its theatrical release and I decided to go out and rent it for the evening. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the film. What could have been a generic, by the numbers, Outbreak-type movie turns out to be… More
  Contagion is a film that I've been hearing about positively since its theatrical release and I decided to go out and rent it for the evening. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the film. What could have been a generic, by the numbers, Outbreak-type movie turns out to be a more clinical and much better made film than that. It has a lot of star power thanks to the directorial draw of Steven Soderbergh, including Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet and many, many others. The entire plot of the film is the arc of a viral outbreak from inception to cure, and a bit beyond. The film looks and sounds great (as is usally the case with Soderbergh's work), but it feels more akin to an HBO original movie to me than a major theatrical release. I also don't find it engaging enough to warrant seeing multiple times. I'm sure that seems odd of me saying given my rating, but it's one of those good movies that you don't particularly want to see more than once. Once the arc of the story is over, there's nothing so compelling to make me want to revisit again. I could eat those words, but that's what I was feeling at the end. There's some good performances, good score and some nice direction, but you might not want to see it again after seeing it once. Not that it's bad, it's just not that interesting. It's very much Traffic, but in a different situation. That's my take, anyway.

• Dan S

  
  A well-constructed ultra paranoid thriller concerning an epidemic outbreak and how the world handles it. With no lead character, the story has a lot of different ways it can go, and Steven Soderbergh goes all across the globe while giving us the bare minimum about his many characters.… More
  A well-constructed ultra paranoid thriller concerning an epidemic outbreak and how the world handles it. With no lead character, the story has a lot of different ways it can go, and Steven Soderbergh goes all across the globe while giving us the bare minimum about his many characters. The film still works as a whole, however, thanks to the scarily realistic atmosphere and outlook it possesses, a soundtrack eerily similar to "The Social Network" which has a lasting effect, and a stellar cast who come across as normal people just doing their best to survive a chaotic world overwrought with an incurable disease. Another minor piece that Soderbergh can add to his very decorated, versatile belt.

• Jameson W

  
  Really good! Jude Law is fantastic...

• Sophie B

  
  It seemed to go very fast and didn't really give much time for events to sink in. I get why they used such big names, however it really broke the realism and just reminded me that this was a film, not a reality. Very scary concept though.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  three stars...

• Nicki M

  
  Really enjoyed this - often don't with this genre. A lot of characters, but always found it easy to follow, nothing worse than an overly complex storyline. This one gets it just right. Will make you look twice at the person coughing next to you on the train!

• danny d

  
  this is a difficult film to make. one can either concentrate a ton on the virus and its cure to the detriment of the public chaos, or entirely on the chaos to the detriment of the science, or find a middle ground where a more total story is told but nothing is explored as well as it… More
  this is a difficult film to make. one can either concentrate a ton on the virus and its cure to the detriment of the public chaos, or entirely on the chaos to the detriment of the science, or find a middle ground where a more total story is told but nothing is explored as well as it should have been. none of these three options is completely satisfying, but with a global story about the death of millions there is no fully satisfying solution to the problem. i think soderbergh chose the best option in telling the broadest and most complete story possible, but because of this the film can be seen as simply touching the surface of all of its various angles. despite this, the acting was great from its amazing cast, and the story compelling enough to keep me very interested until the end. overall very good film.

• Cynthia S

  
  Definitely going down as one of Gwyneth's best roles...or at least the most memorable. This is an intelligent, well-done, well-acted, film about what might really occur if the population was infected by a deadly, incurable virus. I have to admit that it was quite interesting… More
  Definitely going down as one of Gwyneth's best roles...or at least the most memorable. This is an intelligent, well-done, well-acted, film about what might really occur if the population was infected by a deadly, incurable virus. I have to admit that it was quite interesting watching A list movie actors being killed off. Not something that you see every day. Good movie....

• Jeff "

  
  Contagion is a very engaging thriller about a virus that infects the world and causes death while health officials scramble to find a cure. Though Contagion isn't a straight forward horror flick, it elements of the genre, the film plays out more like a thriller, and for what it… More
  Contagion is a very engaging thriller about a virus that infects the world and causes death while health officials scramble to find a cure. Though Contagion isn't a straight forward horror flick, it elements of the genre, the film plays out more like a thriller, and for what it is; it succeeds at being an effective; chilling thriller. Director Steven Soderbergh directs yet another good film, and the cast he has at hand deliver strong performances. The film starts off with a bang, as everyone begins to be infected. I loved the tension and helplessness of the characters as they struggled through the ordeal, I felt it made the film more entertaining, and though these types of thriller horror films aren't anything new, Contagion still delivers something good on-screen. Though the film isn't a straight forward horror film, the situation that director Steven Soderbergh conveys on-screen is most certainly terrifying, and the helplessness of the characters intensified that aspect of the film. The cast here are wonderful, and each deliver something memorable to the screen. I was entertained by this film, and like I said the cast made it that much more enjoyable. In my opinion, I think that Steven Soderbergh is an overlooked talent, and though this isn't anything new, Soderbergh makes it constantly entertaining from start to finish. This is yet another strong film by an underrated director. If you enjoy thrillers or horror films that deal with virus outbreaks, then this is yet another entertaining film in the genre.

• Joe M

  
  Finally a realistic apocalyptic thriller. Forget zombies that would be mowed down by every redneck with a gun by nightfall. This shows in careful detail how society might unravel if another killer bug like the spanish flu of 1918 hits again.

• Melvin W

  
  Alan Krumwiede: Tell them what an R-not of two really means, doctor. Teach them some math, hmm?... No? I'll do it. On day one there were two people with it, and then there were four, and then it was sixteen and you think you've got it in front of you. But next it's two… More
  Alan Krumwiede: Tell them what an R-not of two really means, doctor. Teach them some math, hmm?... No? I'll do it. On day one there were two people with it, and then there were four, and then it was sixteen and you think you've got it in front of you. But next it's two hundred and fifty six and then it's sixty five thousand and it's behind you and above you and all around you. In thirty steps, it's a billion sick. Three months. It's a math problem you can do on a napkin. And that's where we're headed!  "Don't talk to anyone. Don't touch anyone." There's nothing like an epidemic movie to bring out a huge and talented cast. Contagion, much like Outbreak, has a handful of huge stars and a bunch of talented character actors. My personal favorite performance came from Jude Law as a freelance journalist who is out to expose the government for it's tactics when it comes to a vaccine. Other notable performances come from Matt Damon, Laurence Fishborne, Marion Cotillard, and Kate Winslet; but there are a variety of other good performances.  What you're getting yourself into with Contagion is the best epidemic film ever made. What this film does that others of the genre have not been able to do is capitalize on just how scary a story like this. This is the first time I have watched an epidemic movie and felt genuinely uneasy throughout. Soderbergh does such a good job in exposing a variety of details that would occur after an epidemic of this magnitude hit. It isn't all about the virus. There's the aftereffects. There's riots in the streets, lawlessness, border protection, and conspiracy for gain. The film goes deeper than the illness and that is what puts it over the top. When talking about the movie, you have to speak of the atmosphere. Soderbergh creates a terrifying feel for Contagion, with the help of some fantastic cinematography and a terrific score. When you put those details with Soderbergh's eye, it's going to be special. Soderbergh knows how to approach of single detail of this film. Leaving Day 1 for the end is brilliant, and the beginning works so well, that it sets the tone for the next hour and a half.  If something of this sort happened, I feel it would play out pretty much like this.  When looking at this genre, it's quite apparent that there aren't a lot of great movies that populate it. Well Contagion just set the bar at a whole new level. This is now the definitive Epidemic movie. Before this was made, I don't think you could state a definitive film in the genre because none of them were so far ahead of all the others. This one is. It's to the epidemic film, what Fast Times At Ridgemont High is to the high school movie.

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