Movies About Viruses

From John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Rated R

The Thing (1982) is a classic horror/sci-fi film directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. The action takes place at an Antarctic research station where a group of scientists and military personnel are conducting research. When a shape-shifting alien lifeform is discovered, the group must fight for survival against a creature that can assume the form of any living organism. As the creature begins to pick off the group one by one, paranoia and suspicion among the survivors mounts. Meanwhile, the team must also battle the extreme cold and their dwindling resources as they attempt to survive the siege from the deadly creature.

From Ingmar Bergman, starring Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe
Rated Not Rated

The Seventh Seal is a classic 1957 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman and featuring Max von Sydow as a medieval knight who returns home from the Crusades to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. As Death appears in the form of a black-cloaked figure, the knight challenges him to a chess game for his life. As the game progresses, a series of conversations between the knight and various characters offer insight into life, death, faith and the existential questions of the human condition. Ultimately, the knight must make a difficult decision between life and death, faith and despair.

From Terry Gilliam, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito
Rated R

12 Monkeys is a science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam and released in 1995. It stars Bruce Willis as James Cole, a convict from a post-apocalyptic future who is sent back in time by an underground organization to stop a deadly virus from wiping out the human race. In his travels, Cole meets Jeffrey Goines, played by Brad Pitt, a mentally unstable animal rights activist and son of a virologist. Together, they uncover a vast and sinister plot involving the Army of the 12 Monkeys, an insane cult set on unleashing the virus. In the end, Cole must find a way to save the world from destruction and find his place in the past and future.

From Alfonso Cuarón, starring Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Rated R

Children of Men is a 2006 dystopian science fiction film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine. Set in 2027, it follows an infertile world where women have become unable to bear children, leading to the collapse of civilization. In this world, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is a former political activist who is now a disillusioned bureaucrat. When he is forced to help Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a young refugee carrying the only known pregnancy in the world, he is thrust into a desperate race to protect the future of humanity. Along the way, he must face his own demons and fight for his own beliefs. Children of Men is an intense, fast-paced thriller that explores the nature of hope in a world filled with despair.

From Jean-Marc Vallée, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Steve Zahn
Rated R

Dallas Buyers Club is an American biographical drama film based on the real-life story of Ron Woodroof, a drug addict who, after being diagnosed with HIV in 1986, smuggles unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into Texas for treating AIDS patients. To bypass the FDA's regulations, he establishes the "Dallas Buyers Club," a membership-based organization through which he is able to distribute the drugs to other AIDS patients. The film focuses on Woodroof's struggle to stay alive and his battle against the FDA, as well as his relationship with fellow AIDS patient Rayon and the stigma he faces for being an HIV-positive homosexual. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, and Steve Zahn. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Picture.

From George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman
Rated Not Rated

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent horror film directed by George A. Romero. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania, which is besieged by a large and growing group of unnamed "living dead" monsters. The group consists of Ben (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O'Dea), her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner), and four other survivors who are all forced to fight for their lives against the undead. As the night progresses, tensions within the group rise and the survivors must each come to terms with their own mortality and the horror that awaits them. The film is regarded as a classic of the horror genre and has been cited as an influence on numerous films, literature, and other media.

From Wes Anderson, starring Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban
Rated PG-13

Isle of Dogs is a 2018 stop-motion-animated science-fiction comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson. The film is set in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, where the mayor has ordered all dogs to be exiled to an island due to an outbreak of "canine flu". Atari, the 12-year-old ward of the corrupt mayor, comes to the island to look for his pet, Spots. With the help of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture. Along the way, the group must overcome numerous obstacles, and Atari must learn the meaning of loyalty, friendship, and courage.

From Sang-ho Yeon, starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Su-an Kim
Rated Not Rated

Train to Busan is a 2016 South Korean zombie apocalypse horror movie directed by Sang-ho Yeon. The movie follows Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), a workaholic divorced father, and his daughter, Soo-an (Kim Su-an), as they board the KTX train from Seoul to Busan on the day a zombie apocalypse begins. Along the way, they meet other passengers, including a pregnant woman, two elderly sisters, a business man, a homeless man, and the head of a major corporation. Together, they must fight their way through hordes of zombies and survive the journey while struggling to keep their humanity. With time running out, they must fight to make it to Busan, the last safe zone in South Korea.

From Matt Reeves, starring Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Rated PG-13

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a 2014 science fiction action film directed by Matt Reeves and starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman and Keri Russell. Set ten years after the events of the previous film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), the film follows a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar, who are threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species. With its thrilling action set pieces, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a powerful, thought-provoking film that explores themes of loyalty, family, and the consequences of war.

From Danny Boyle, starring Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Alex Palmer
Rated R

28 Days Later… is a post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The film follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), a young man who wakes up from a coma in an abandoned hospital to find the world has been taken over by infected humans. He soon meets other survivors and learns of a dangerous virus that transforms its victims into mindless, violent creatures. As they struggle to survive against the infected, they must also deal with the military forces that are trying to contain the virus. In the end, Jim and the other survivors are able to find a safe haven and begin to rebuild their lives.

From Directors: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, starring Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso
Rated R

From John Curran, starring Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Catherine An
Rated PG-13

From Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor
Rated PG

From Zack Snyder, starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber
Rated R

From Robert Wise, starring James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid
Rated G

From Francis Lawrence, starring Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Rated PG-13

From George A. Romero, starring Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy
Rated Not Rated

From Park Chan-wook, starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Hee-jin Choi, Seo Dong-soo
Rated R

From Marc Forster, starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale
Rated PG-13

From Rob Bowman, starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville, William B. Davis
Rated PG-13

From Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, starring Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Robert Carlyle, Harold Perrineau
Rated R

From André Téchiné, starring Michel Blanc, Emmanuelle Béart, Sami Bouajila, Julie Depardieu
Rated Not Rated

From Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher, David Weston
Rated Not Rated

From Steven Soderbergh, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Rated PG-13

From Paul Verhoeven, starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, Jack Thompson
Rated R