Contagion

AroView: Steven Soderbergh directs this hypothetical disaster thriller concerned with the experiences of a cross section of people (biologists, government officials, terrified citizens) caught up in the outbreak of a lethal airborne virus.

Although the measure of the film’s relevance as a “what if” enactment of a worst case scenario remains to be seen, Soderbergh’s unraveling of the escalating drama is brisk and incredibly efficient, making this nothing if not a heart-stopping watch. Jude Law’s ridiculous turn as an dissident blogger notwithstanding, the punctual realism through which the rapid spread of the pandemic is told grounds everything in an of-the-moment eventfulness – chillingly, less science fiction than science fact.

“Adopting a clean, chronological and punchy approach, Soderbergh holds a steady eye on panic and chaos. It’s a disaster movie with a brain and conscience.” ~DAVE CALHOUN, TIME OUT