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Contagion

Contagion (2011)

tomatometer

84

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Reviews Counted: 232
Fresh: 196 | Rotten: 36

Tense, tightly plotted, and bolstered by a stellar cast, Contagion is an exceptionally smart -- and scary -- disaster movie.

83

Average Rating: 7/10
Critic Reviews: 40
Fresh: 33 | Rotten: 7

Tense, tightly plotted, and bolstered by a stellar cast, Contagion is an exceptionally smart -- and scary -- disaster movie.

audience

61

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 66,443

My Rating

Movie Info

Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart. -- (C) Warner Bros.

PG-13, 1 hr. 47 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

Scott Z. Burns

Jan 3, 2012

$75.6M

Warner Bros.

Contagion Trailer & Photos

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Cast

Critic Reviews for Contagion

All Critics (232) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (199) | Rotten (36) | DVD (10)

'Contagion': Steven Soderbergh's new metathriller, gorgeously shot and rather playfully directed by the filmmaker, is an Altmanesque take on a deadly disease that takes down a good part of the world's population.

September 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Passionate Moviegoer | Comment (1)
Joe Baltake
Passionate Moviegoer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The presence of movie stars helps: their authority is part of what keeps us fascinated by the gruesome fable, juicing it a bit, so that we can actually enjoy it.

September 13, 2011 Full Review Source: New Yorker | Comments (4)
David Denby
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Contagion is compelling.

September 11, 2011 Full Review Source: New York Magazine | Comments (7)
David Edelstein
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Contagion is the best movie made to date about an epidemic/pandemic.

September 10, 2011 Full Review Source: ReelViews | Comments (39)
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Along with the stars, Contagion has plenty of scares, though in contrast to Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, they're things you encounter every day.

September 9, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film resembles its viral subject a little too closely: an intricate, formidable mechanism with no evident purpose.

September 9, 2011 Full Review Source: The Atlantic | Comments (9)
Christopher Orr
The Atlantic
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Before Contagion is anything else, it's a master class in filmmaking - shooting, editing, making a movie move.

April 30, 2012 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | Comment
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Soderbergh's detachment actually creates an effective air of understatement when working in tandem with the contrasting warmth and commitment of his cast.

April 6, 2012 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

One of the scariest films of the year - and the best advert for hand sanitiser you will ever see.

March 2, 2012 Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | Comment
Richard Edwards
SFX Magazine

If you're a hypochondriac or paranoid (or both), don't watch this film.

February 28, 2012 Full Review Source: The Standard | Comment
Matt Neal
The Standard Source: The Standard

A bit emotionless and clinical, but Contagion is a pretty spot-on blow-by-blow of what it would be like if a real viral epidemic were to break out.

January 29, 2012 Full Review Source: IGN DVD | Comment
R. L. Shaffer
IGN DVD

The fiercely intelligent Contagion outdoes its genre competition precisely because it doesn't dumb itself down for our sake.

January 25, 2012 Full Review Source: What Culture | Comment
Shaun Munro
What Culture Source: What Culture

Soderbergh, who is as skilled as they come at uplifting routine templates, gives the infection movie über-A-list treatment.

January 20, 2012 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com | Comment
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com

At the heart of Contagion is the fear of a disease that can send the world into anarchy, a scenario which seems extreme but is actually dangerously realistic.

January 7, 2012 Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | Comment
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Kind of a mixed bag. It's got the right ingredients for a convincing real-life thriller, yet it seems too detached. (Blu-ray Combo edition)

December 31, 2011 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis

Though paling in intensity to Traffic, Soderbergh' apocalyptic cautionary tale nevertheless presents a chillingly-plausible peek at how quickly civilization might unravel in the face of a rapidly-accelerating, extinction-level, biological event.

December 31, 2011 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | Comment
Kam Williams
NewsBlaze

A first-rate cast, excellent acting, and a reasonably taut pace help a somewhat lackluster and sometimes melodramatic story line over its more-predictable soft spots.

December 31, 2011 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis

No one becomes a zombie as in 28 Days Later but the trajectory here is about the same and 10 times more frightening because of its true-to-life, very probable scenario.

December 30, 2011 Full Review Source: Knight at the Movies | Comment (1)
Richard Knight
Knight at the Movies

A supercharged cross between an episode of CSI and a World Health Organization infographic.

December 29, 2011 Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | Comment
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies Source: Goatdog's Movies

The disease/pandemic movie has grown up.

December 28, 2011 Full Review Source: Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) | Comment
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

Steven Lederberg's realization of Scott Burns' original screenplay is more interesting for its statistics and protocols than gripping drama as the world comes to terms with a virus that threatens to remove one-in-twelve from the planet.

December 23, 2011 Full Review Source: JWR | Comments (4)
S. James Wegg
JWR Source: JWR

I'm not making this up: I had a coughing fit during 'Contagion.'Luckily, I was sitting at the very back of the theater, so I was less likely (I hope) to add to the tension unfolding on the screen.

December 22, 2011 Full Review Source: KWQC-TV (Iowa) | Comments (3)
Linda Cook
KWQC-TV (Iowa)

Contagion is a reminder that we're hardly in as much control of the globe as we think.

December 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Flicks.co.nz | Comment
Steve Newall
Flicks.co.nz

As soon as you hear Gwyneth Paltrow cough, you know where you're headed.

December 7, 2011 Full Review Source: PopMatters | Comments (2)
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

Todo luce muy cool, demasiado para un film en el que la gente muere como moscas y en el que se pretende alertarnos sobre una inminente crisis global. Pero no hay tiempo para desarrollar interés emocional por ninguno de los personajes.

December 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | Comment (1)
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

A paean to death by bat droppings mixed with a bit of pork.

November 27, 2011 Full Review Source: CultureCatch | Comment
Brandon Judell
CultureCatch
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Contagion

View All

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

June 30, 2011
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

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

April 11, 2012
SirPant
Anthony Lawrie

Super Reviewer

Contagion Quotes

View All

    1. Dennis French: Is there anyway someone could repenise the bird flue is that what were looking at.
    2. Dr. Ellis Cheever: Nobody has to the birds are doing that.
    – Submitted by macky s (47 days ago)
    1. Dr. Erin Mears: Stop touching your face, Dave.
    – Submitted by Virginia C (6 months ago)
    1. Dr. Erin Mears: Don't talk to anyone! Don't touch anyone!
    – Submitted by Nick P (6 months ago)
    1. Dr. Ellis Cheever: Well, Dr. Gupta, there continue to be evaluations of several drugs, Ribavirin is among them. But, right now our best defence has been social distancing. No hands shaking, staying home when you're sick, washing your hands frequently.
    2. Helpful Doctor: Alan today on Twitter, you wrote on that the truth about this virus is being kept from the world, by the CDC, by the World Health Organisation, to allow friends of the current administration to benefit from it both financially and physically.
    – Submitted by Robert B (6 months ago)
    1. Beth Emhoff: My arm.
    – Submitted by Nick P (8 months ago)

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Latest News for Contagion

May 11, 2012:
Warner Bros. Wants a Contagion Sequel
They've put out an open writing assignment for a screenplay.

January 3, 2012:
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Contagion Spreads to Home Video
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Foreign Titles

  • Contagio (ES)
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