Contagion (2011)

Director Steven Soderbergh released the American thriller film Contagion (2011). After a business trip to Hong Kong, PR executive Beth Emhoff had an encounter with a former lover during her layover in Chicago. She initially chalked up her slight illness to jet lag. However, just two days later, upon returning to Minneapolis, Beth’s husband Mitch rushed her to the hospital after she suffered a seizure. Despite her treatment, she tragically passed away from an unknown disease. Meanwhile, Mitch’s stepson Clark also succumbed to the illness. Thankfully, Mitch was found to be naturally immune but chose to keep his daughter Jory quarantined at home for her safety. In response to the growing concerns about the potential use of this virus as a bioweapon, representatives from the Department of Homeland Security met with Dr. Ellis Cheever of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

Dr. Erin Mears, an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, is sent to Minneapolis by Cheever to investigate the spread of the novel virus. She successfully tracks down everyone who has come into contact with Beth and works with hesitant local officials to secure resources for a public health response. Tragically, Mears herself contracts the virus and passes away. As the virus continues to spread, quarantine measures are implemented in multiple cities, leading to panic buying, looting, and violence. At the CDC, Dr. Ally Hextall discovers that the virus is a combination of genetic material from pig and bat-borne viruses. However, scientists struggle to find a cell culture suitable for growing the newly identified MEV-1 strain. In response to its high virulence, Cheever makes the decision to limit all research on the virus to one government site instead of multiple labs.