Contagion (2011)

This film is a satisfying blockbuster directed by Steven Soderbergh. It is the tale of a highly virulent flu virus that is highly transmissible and fatal for 25% of those that contract it. The end result? It is almost TOO believable. This film will really, really make you want to wash your hands and not touch anyone. On top of that there is a star-studded cast--Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Elliot Gould--who help us through the life cycle of an epidemic, from the index case to the vaccination of the planet. The best part of this movie is that it doesn't get too much into catastrophizing. Or it stays right on the edge of believable consequences of an ongoing epidemic. People panic. The social order is disrupted. Houses are broken into, people don't go to work, and there are shortages as a result. The movie avoids what it would be like to live in a large city while this was going on, so they do not go over the top. It is a well done script, with an optimistic timeline from beginning to a vaccine being available. There are annoying side stories which don't much add to the bottom line, but overall this is a cautionary tale that is well told.