It seems lots of people during the pandemic have turned to similar themed books and films. With that in mind I decided to take a look the pandemic thriller Contagion (2011) which I’d never seen. This is my Contagion blu-ray review, we all know it’s not going to be the cheeriest of movies but how much did it get right about the pandemic? Let’s find out…
- Contagion (2011)
- Genre: Thriller
- Directed by Steven Soderbergh
- UK Rating 12
- Discs: 1
- Released By Warner Bros
- Blu-ray Released: 5 March 2012
Plot
When a women returning from a business trip in Hong Kong becomes seriously ill and subsequently dies it sets in motion a world pandemic. As the doctors scramble track down the origin and those who may have come into contact with the virus they soon realise they have lost control of the situation.
Style / Direction
Contagion (2011) is a film directed by Steven Soderbergh with Peter Andrews handling the cinematography. I’d have to say this film does in many ways feels rather realistic when compared to say Outbreak (1995) which I will be reviewing next. The latter really feels like a Hollywood movie whereas Contagion feels almost documentary style or vibe. It isn’t but it leans more to real feel that over the top blockbuster type movie.
Music / Audio Effects
Cliff Martinez provides the music.
Acting / Characters
I thought the cast all did exceptionally well with their given roles and had no real complaints on the acting side of things. The cast is pretty strong with the likes of Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon and Kate Winslet in particular standing out.
Cast
- Marion Cotillard as Dr. Leonora Orantes
- Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Ellis Cheever
- Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff
- Jude Law as Alan Krumwiede
- Kate Winslet as Dr. Erin Mears
- Bryan Cranston as Rear Admiral Lyle Haggerty
- Jennifer Ehle as Dr. Ally Hextall
- Elliott Gould as Dr. Ian Sussman
- Chin Han as Sun Feng
Conclusion: Contagion (2011) Film Review
I think Contagion actually got a lot right. Sure the large scale rioting never occurred in the real life pandemic. Neither was the USA in reality the only country to successfully develop a vaccine. That said it did show the spread of the virus pretty accurately and painted an overall picture we are kind of familiar with in today’s world.
However with all that said whilst the film does a very good job in portraying the pandemic it’s not a film I necessarily enjoyed or would watch again anytime soon. Current events are still very real and I think I need more escapism than reality.
If you’ve enjoyed my Contagion blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: Contagion Blu-ray Review
The picture quality is excellent as are the extras. That said I’m not sure too many people will really want to watch the extras after seeing this movie.
Extras
- The Reality of Contagion (11 mins)
- The Contagion Detectives (5 mins)
- Contagion: How A Virus Changed The World (2 mins)
Contagion (2011) On Blu-ray
Contagion (2011) blu-ray is available now from Amazon.
The Amazon links on this page are affiliate / associate links. By buying through the links we may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price you pay.
Popcorn Cinema Movie Rating: Contagion (2011)
MOVIE RATING: GOOD
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: GOOD
Contagion (2011) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my Contagion blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more thrillers soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: Contagion (2011) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Contagion (2011)
Movie description: Pandemic thriller
Duration: 106 mins
Director(s): Steven Soderbergh
Actor(s): Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston,
Genre: Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A little too realistic to enjoy
Pros
Compelling Story
Cons
Too Close To Real World Events
