10 movies on pandemics and virus outbreaks to cope with coronavirus scare

The threat of a pandemic has become increasingly real as coronavirus spread across the world - from Asia, to Europe, the Middle-east, now parts of the United States and even Africa. There are over 110,000 confirmed cases of the new virus, with more than 3,800 deaths attributed to it. The World Health Organization (WHO) had last week raised the global virus risk to maximum level.

In Kerala, several unprecedented measures have been employed to curb the rapid spread of the virus. In the span of just two days, the number of infected in the state has jumped from three to fourteen. All sorts of mass gatherings – examinations, festivals, film screenings and public functions – have been cancelled.

Onmanorama has compiled a list of movies based on pandemics.

Virus (2019)

Director: Aashiq Abu

Based on the 2018 Nipah outbreak in Kerala, the film revolves around people who help in capturing the finer details of a deadly epidemic outbreak, its roots and subsequent trauma. 

Miruthan (2016)

Director: Shakti Soundar 

The film depicts a zombie apocalypse in the state of Tamil Nadu that starts after a poisonous liquid spills from a container outside a chemical laboratory in Ooty. A traffic police officer tries to find a cure for the outbreak, while zombies keep spreading from city to city.

World War Z (2013)

Director: Marc Forster

The movie is a combination of a zombie film and an action movie. It follows as the main character travels the world to try to find the source of this virus and stop it before the planet is eviscerated by the outbreak that is turning people into zombies.

Contagion (2011)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

With coronavirus scare, Contagion has become one of the most-downloaded movies on the internet of late. The plot concerns the spread of a virus transmitted by fomites, attempts by medical researchers and public health officials to identify and contain the disease, the loss of social order in a pandemic, and finally the introduction of a vaccine to halt its spread.

The Crazies (2010)

Director: Breck Eisner

A remake of the 1973 film by the same name, the movie is set in a fictional town in Iowa in which the residents start to behave bizarrely and violently after a mysterious virus begins to infect them.

Carriers (2009)

Director: Alex and David Pastor

Four survivors of a viral pandemic are attempting to avoid the looming threat of becoming infected. The movie examines the desperation of humankind in the midst of a highly contagious global pandemic. 

Quarantine (2008)

Director: John Erick Dowdle

The film follows a reporter and her camera crew as they head out on location to do a story about firefighters. What should be a heartwarming story about people that work hard to save others turns terrifying after a distress call takes them to an apartment which is contaminated by a virus.

I Am Legend (2007)

Director: Francis Lawrence

Based on the 1954 novel by the same name, the movie stars Will Smith who and revolves around a deadly virus outbreak which turns people into monsters. He tries to find a cure for the virus even as he tries to survive alone in the city.

Cabin Fever (2002)

Director: Eli Roth

This movie follows a group of friends who have traveled to a cabin in the woods to have a weekend getaway and have a good time. Unfortunately, a contaminated water source leading to their cabin makes their trip anything but fun and relaxing. The water source's contamination leaves them with a flesh-eating virus.

28 Days Later (2002)

Director: Danny Boyle

The movie is about an accidental release of a contagious virus threatens to destroy civilisation even as the protagonists cope with the destruction of the life they once knew while evading those infected by the virus.