The Best Infectious Films and TV Shows for a Coronavirus Movie Marathon
Even though regular binge-watching is not a practice we would usually recommend, there is probably a no better time than now to indulge. Besides, the movies and anime series below will not only keep you entertained well past midnight but might also teach you a thing or two about the nature of epidemics and pandemics themselves. Click the headings for trailers.
Contagion (106 mins)
The plot of this star-studded film (seriously, who isn't in it?) is directly inspired by the SARS outbreak of the early noughties, but director Steven Soderbergh couldn’t have predicted that years after its 2011 release, his Contagion would enjoy a second wave of popularity thanks to the coronavirus: it is now one of most downloaded and illegally streamed films of the year. Part of the curiosity comes from the fact that Contagion tells a story that is eerily similar to the one we are currently experiencing, revolving around a coronavirus pandemic that originated in Asian, was transmitted from a wild animal such as a bat, and leads to endless conspiracy theories and tales of homeopathic remedies on social media. Compared to some other iconic virus-related movies, this may not be the most visually expressive nor the most successful, but looking back at it today, when our lives have been so dramatically affected by the COVID-19, it's certainly worth a rewatch.
12 Monkeys (Movie: 129 min; TV show: Four seasons, 47 episodes, 43 mins per episode on average)
Catastrophes and the end-of-the-world narratives had a big moment in the 1990s. Among the many other wild and imaginative prophecies as to the future and eventual demise of humankind, Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys stands out for its mind-bending plot, combining pandemics, conspiracies, and time travel. Twenty years after the original movie, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and (a young) Brad Pitt, was released, the story was adapted and expanded into a four-season TV show. After a bumpy start, the remastered TV show did the original film justice and introduced a new generation of fans to the original film.
The Host (119 mins)
Catapulted to household fame this past Oscars season for his film Parasite, the first foreign language ever to win Best Picture, Korean director Bong Joon-ho has long played with the themes of class politics, government ineptitude, and family. In his 2006 monster-meets-virus movie The Host, Bong's penchant and skill for mixing black humor, action, and heartfelt storytelling are already apparent. The story unfolds as an incompetent American military scientist pours toxic chemicals into the sewer, creating a monster that terrorizes Korea and directly alters the lives of a working-class family, who must team together to remain alive. With images of mass quarantine, and people in face masks (pictured at top) and hazmat suits, there are moments during the film that are eerily familiar.
The Flu (121 mins)
Likewise, in The Flu, South Korean director Kim Sung-su similarly explores how an unexpected, devastating pandemic reveals the filth and malice that we tend (or try?) to ignore in everyday human existence so as not to tarnish the peaceful mirage of modern life. Admittedly, the plot and the pace of this 2013 movie slip towards the end, but still, its contents are likely to send a shiver down your spine no matter whether you are living in quarantine or not. Sadly, the South Korean government apparently didn't heed the 2013 film's warning as to what is likely to happen to those countries who don't act fast enough to contain a deadly virus.
Ajin: Demi-Human (Two seasons, 26 episodes, 24 mins per episode)
This well-respected cult anime series is known for its trenchant dissection of the hypocrisy of humankind and delves deep into the topic of 'otherness.' Student protagonist Kei Nagai's life is irreparably changed when after a traffic accident he comes back to life, not as a human, but as an Ajin, an immortal species and threat to mankind. Before he has time to adjust to his new identity, Kei must choose between the human world that is hunting his kind or the Ajin community which is plotting to usurp the world's governments and exact their revenge. Unfortunately, the witchhunt that Ajin details is far from dark fantasy, and has many a parallel with the uptick in xenophobic and racist sentiments spreading around the world, fueled by fear of the 'other.'
READ: Exhausted Netflix? Catch Up on the Best Chinese Content it Has to Offer
Images: The Host (via YouTube), courtesy the production companies
