The pandemic has been rough on the film industry since coronavirus broke out in 2020. Theaters and cinemas have been closed for a long time (they’re still closed in some parts of the world), and it’s difficult for new movies to get made when everyone must follow social distancing. The pandemic has halted productions worldwide and delayed some major films from hitting cinema screens.
But there has been a silver lining. With the world on pause, we have had the chance to take a break from our hectic life and dedicate some time to ourselves. For every cinephile, it meant lots of time to watch movies at home! Not surprisingly, streaming services have been booming for the last two years.
The coronavirus pandemic has felt like something straight out of a film for many. When rewatching some classic virus movies, it’s easy to understand why. So go ahead, put on your hazmat suit, grab your bug-out bag, and get ready to binge some of the most entertaining pandemic movies ever made! This list of movies about pandemics offers everything from serious examinations of disease outbreaks to absurd fantasies about zombies and infectious diseases that turn people into monsters.
#1 28 Days Later
2002 | 1h 53m | Directed by Danny Boyle
The plot depicts the breakdown of society following the accidental release of a highly contagious virus. It focuses on the struggle of a group of survivors to cope with the destruction of the life they once knew. The success of 28 Days Later led to a 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. A third film, 28 Months Later, has been rumored to be in development for years but has been repeatedly delayed.
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56points
#2 Contagion
2011 | 1h 46m | Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a terrifying medical thriller following the world in the middle of a deadly pandemic that could wipe out most of humanity. But it’s also an excellent film, with an all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law. Even if extinction movies are not your cup of tea, it’s worth watching.
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56points
#3 Outbreak
1995 | 2h 7m | Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
A deadly virus from the jungles of Zaire has hit a small town in California and is spreading rapidly. Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo play scientists who try to stop the pandemic before it reaches worldwide proportions. The film became topical when a real-life Ebola virus outbreak occurred in Zaire right when the film was released. An excellent cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Patrick Dempsey makes this movie a must-see.
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53points
#4 The Stand
1994 | 6h 1m (Mini-Series) | Directed by Mick Garris
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic mini-series based on Stephen King’s novel. King also wrote the teleplay and had a minor role in the series. The series outlines the total breakdown of society after the accidental release of a strain of influenza that had been modified for biological warfare. The few survivors, united in groups, establish a new social system and face each other in a final battle between good and evil.
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51points
#5 I Am Legend
2007 | 1h 41m | Directed by Francis Lawrence
In this famous post-apocalyptic film, Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist who could not stop the spread of the terrible virus that wiped out humanity. Somehow immune, Robert is now the last survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. Will Smith became so fond of his canine co-star, Abbey, that he tried to adopt her when filming was finished, but the dog’s trainer refused to give her up.
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50points
#6 World War Z
2013 | 1h 56m | Directed by Marc Forster
In addition to being a well-rounded zombie apocalypse film, World War Z is an intense and compelling thriller. The plot is gripping and has good pacing that keeps you glued to the screen. The cast is great, with Brad Pitt turning in a fantastic performance as protagonist Gerry Lane, who travels the world trying to find a cure for the zombie plague that has infected almost every human on Earth. Definitely a must-watch for disaster movie fans.
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49points
#7 28 Weeks Later
2007 | 1h 40m | Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
28 Weeks Later is a British-Spanish production structured as a sequel to the critically and commercially successful film 28 Days Later. The movie picks up six months after the Rage virus spread throughout the city of London. NATO has restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city when a carrier of the Rage virus enters London and unknowingly re-ignites the spread of the deadly infection. The nightmare is coming back.
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47points
#8 Train To Busan
2016 | 1h 58m | Directed by Yeon Sang-Ho
Train to Busan is one of the many great South Korean movies and shows released these last few years. The horror movie follows a group of survivors traveling on the train from Seoul to Busan, struggling to survive in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Train to Busan soon became the sixth highest-grossing domestic film of all time in South Korea and led director Yeon Sang-Ho to release a standalone sequel, Peninsula, in 2020.
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45points
#9 Children Of Men
2006 | 1h 49m | Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
It’s 2027, and humanity faces a world in which all women have become infertile. Theo Faron agrees to help escort a miraculously pregnant refugee to a sanctuary where they can hopefully find a cure that could save the world from extinction. If you haven’t seen it already, Children of Men is well worth watching. Not least for the impressive writing but also because it has some important things to say about immigration and identity in a world where the topic of borders and human rights is more important than ever.
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45points
#10 The Crazies
2010 | 1h 41m | Directed by Breck Eisner
The idea of a zombie-like outbreak that turns people into bloodthirsty killers is definitely not a new concept but can still make for an intriguing horror pandemic movie. Just as the film rolls, a small town in Iowa is hit with a virus that causes its residents to become crazy and violent psychopaths.
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44points
#11 Resident Evil
2002 | 1h 40m | Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Inspired by the acclaimed video game saga, Resident Evil follows an elite military unit infiltrating a genetic research facility where a virus transformed humans and animals into monsters. The film was initially titled Resident Evil: Ground Zero, but the title was changed after the 9/11 attacks. Despite some negative critics, the film got five sequels, released between 2004 and 2016.
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42points
#12 Dawn Of The Dead
2004 | 1h 41m | Directed by Zack Snyder
Dawn Of The Dead follows a group of people locked inside a shopping mall during a gory apocalyptic event. Surrounded by zombies, they must stay alive without food, water, and barely a glimpse of hope for the future. This sounds like a very clichéd story, but it’s not. The characters are interesting and well developed, and their relationships are believable (for the most part).
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42points
#13 12 Monkeys
1995 | 2h 9m | Directed by Terry Gilliam
“Apocalypse” and “time travel” are not tropes that you usually find paired in the same movie, but they somehow worked for 12 Monkeys. Bruce Willis stars as James Cole, a convict from 2035 who volunteers to travel back in time to find out what caused the outbreak that destroyed the planet. Before shooting began, Bruce Willis received a list of forbidden “Willis acting clichés” from director Terry Gilliam, including his notorious “steely blue eyes look”.
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41points
#14 The Andromeda Strain
1971 | 2h 11m | Directed by Robert Wise
The plot revolves around a team of top scientists assembled by a military organization in order to investigate a deadly disease brought back from space by a satellite. The Andromeda Strain has been praised for its dedication to the original novel and the use of visual effects, particularly groundbreaking at the time. It was revealed that just the special effects to create a visually impactful organism cost around $250,000!
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39points
#15 Resident Evil: Extinction
2007 | 1h 34m | Directed by Russell Mulcahy
Here we are with the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, based on the popular Capcom survival horror video game. Alice, along with a group of survivors from Raccoon City, attempts to travel across the Mojave desert wilderness to Alaska and escape the outbreak. Despite the critical response, since its release, the movie has gained a cult following who have praised the film for its action-packed scenes and emotional plot.
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37points
#16 Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
2011 | 1h 45m | Directed by Rupert Wyatt
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes is part of a line of reboots, remakes, and sequels that have seen Hollywood content mine its back catalog for inspiration rather than invest in fresh ideas. The movie is a rare beast, a summer blockbuster with brains and heart. It takes the premise of the 1968 original film and turns it upside down, crafting a clever and compelling tale of human hubris, scientific experimentation gone wrong, and animal liberation.
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36points
#17 Resident Evil: Apocalypse
2004 | 1h 34m | Directed by Alexander Witt
Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a direct sequel to the first one, set after Alice managed to escape from the underground facility overrun by zombies. There are many reasons why you should keep up with the saga, like the fantastic action scenes that maintain a sense of urgency and Milla Jovovich, who manages to look great even when she’s covered in dirt and zombie guts.
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35points
#18 10 Cloverfield Lane
2016 | 1h 43m | Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
If you’re looking for one of those movies that give you an unhealthy dose of anxiety, you just found it. 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle, a young woman who, after a car accident, wakes up in an underground bunker with two men who claim that an apocalyptic disaster has made the air outside lethal. The forced coexistence stirs up some tense situations in a climax that will keep you guessing till the very end.
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34points
#19 Quarantine
2008 | 1h 29m | Directed by John Erick Dowdle
A remake of the highly acclaimed Spanish movie REC, Quarantine is a found footage horror movie that does not let up on the intensity. The story follows Angela, a television reporter who accompanies two firefighters for a routine story about night shift firefighters. They soon learn that a woman living in a building has been infected by something unknown. After failing to rescue her, they try to escape only to find that the CDC has quarantined the building. When the quarantine is finally lifted, the only evidence of what took place is the news crew’s videotape.
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32points
#20 Resident Evil: Afterlife
2010 | 1h 36m | Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
It’s the fourth installment in the Resident Evil film series and the first to be distributed in 3D. Alice searches for survivors and leads a battle against Albert Wesker. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from a familiar face. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the undead leads them to Los Angeles, but Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.
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31points