Top 10 pandemic movies to binge in lockdown

Team Udayavani, Apr 28, 2020, 1:40 PM IST

Cinema or any form of art often imitates what happens in real life. As the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading throughout the world, there are many movies that were based on pandemics or disasters that are gaining much recognition amid lockdowns imposed in many countries.

The films such as Hollywood blockbuster “Contagion” and Malayalam Thriller “The Virus” is getting popularity as people started watching these movies. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Contagion is one of the most popular movies being streamed around the world.

Here are the top 10 of the movies that are based on pandemics that you can stream in while staying inside your home.

10. 28 days later – 2002

IMDb Rating – 7.6/10

Director – Danny Boyle

Synopsis – After a mysterious virus wreaks havoc in the United Kingdom, a team of survivors tries to cope with the aftermath of the disaster and find security.

You Can Watch on – Netflix/ YouTube (rent)

9. Resident Evil Franchise (6 movies; 2002-17)

Directors: Paul W.S. Anderson (1, 4-6), Alexander Witt (2) Russell Mulcahy (3)

Synopsis – Resident Evil is an action horror science fiction film series loosely based on the Capcom survival horror video game series of the same name. German studio Constantin Film bought the rights to adapt the series to film in January 1997.

You can watch on- Prime Video / YouTube (rent)

8. World war Z- 2013

IMDb Rating –  7/10

Director – Marc Forster

Synopsis Gerry, a former United Nations employee, unexpectedly finds himself in a race against time as he investigates a threatening virus that turns humans into zombies.

You can watch on- Prime Video

7. 12 monkeys – 1995

IMDb Rating – 8/10

Director – Terry Gilliam

Synopsis James Cole, a convict, decides to volunteer for a mission, wherein he has to travel back in time to learn about the main reason behind the outbreak of a virulent holocaust.

You can watch on- Netflix

6. I am Legend – 2007

IMDb Rating – 7.2/10

Director – Francis Lawrence

Synopsis Robert Neville, a scientist, is the last human survivor of a plague in the whole of New York. He attempts to find a way to reverse the effects of the man-made virus by using his own immune blood.

You can watch on-  Netflix/ YouTube (rent)

5. Train to Busan – 2016

IMDb Rating – 7.5/10

Director – Yeon Sang-ho

Synopsis – Seok-woo and his daughter are on a train to Busan on the latter’s birthday to see his wife. However, the journey turns into a nightmare when they are trapped amidst a zombie outbreak in South Korea.

You can watch on-  Netflix/ YouTube (rent)

4. Outbreak – 1995

IMDb Rating – 6.6/10

Director – Wolfgang Petersen

Synopsis When a deadly virus, carried by a monkey host from the African rain forest, starts infecting the entire population, a handful of scientists struggle to find a cure.

You can watch on- Netflix/ YouTube (rent)

3. Flue – 2013

IMDb Rating – 6.6/10
Director – Kim Sung-su
Synopsis Chaos ensues after a lethal, airborne virus infects the population of a South Korean city less than 20 kilometres from Seoul.

You can watch on- Netflix

2. Virus – 2019

IMDb Rating – 8/10

Director – Aashiq Abu

Synopsis The state of Kerala faces a tremendous outbreak of the life-threatening Nipah virus. However, a group of courageous individuals risked their lives in an attempt to curb the epidemic.

You can watch on- Prime Video

1. Contagion – 2011

IMDb Rating – 6.7/10

Director – Steven Soderbergh

Synopsis –The death of Beth Emhoff and her son leads to the discovery of a deadly virus. While the US Centers for Disease Control struggles to curb its spread, a world-wide panic ensues.

You can watch on- Prime Video / YouTube (rent)

-Madhukar Bhat H