Virus outbreaks, pandemics, zombie apocalypses have been the focal point of various films and television shows throughout the years. While movie fans have watched pandemic themed films with a watchful eye, there are some that strike harder than others.
With the current Coronavirus situation looming over everyone's head, IMDb has ranked the best pandemic films throughout the years. Some of these films involve disease, zombies and the occasional blood-sucking monsters. In the end, these films tell the story of the worst coming true and just how it would it would impact relationships and humankind. It begs the question, will the main characters survive?
The Omega Man (1971) - 6.5
IMDb takes it back, all the way back to 1971 with the film The Omega Man. This film would be a good appetizer for your late-night movie marathon. The post-apocalyptic science fiction film is based on the common fear that has plagued humanity.
In 1975, a Sin-Soviet border conflict has escalated to biological warfare and has wiped out a majority of the world's population. Army scientist, Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) develops a vaccine that makes him immune to the plague. Years later, the world is desolate and is run by albino mutants. Neville finds survivors and hopes to recreate the vaccine using his blood.
The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) - 6.6
You might remember seeing the trailer or this film on Youtube. The Girl with All the Gifts takes place in the near future as a fungal disease turns humans into flesh-eating monsters. At an army base called Home Counties, they experiment with hybrid second-generation children who retain their thinking abilities but still crave human flesh.
Melanie (Sennia Nanua) is one of these children but has exceptional potential. After the army base is attacked, Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton) and Dr.Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close) protect Melanie, as she is the only possibility of finding a cure.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) - 6.7
Hard to believe, but the 2017 comedy-action film Kingsman: The Golden Circle falls under the pandemic movie category. The sequel film to Kingsman: The Secret Service, continues the story with Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton) after becoming an official member of the Kingsman.
Eggsy and Merlin survive an attack at their base and follow the Doomsday Protocol that leads them to the American division of the Kingsman, Statesman. They discover that Poppy Adams, leader of the world's largest drug cartel, The Golden Circle, has developed a biochemical toxin in her drugs that are fatal without an antidote. They rush to stop her before its too late.
Contagion (2011) - 6.7
The film Contagion has recently risen in popularity but IMDb still has it rated at a 6.7. Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to her suburban home after a business trip in Hong Kong. She soon collapses and dies of an unknown disease in the hospital. Her husband, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) finds their son dead from the same symptoms and is put under quarantine until they realize he is immune.
DHS officer Dr.Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburn) belives the disease to be a bioweapon to wreak havoc over Thanksgiving weekend. Disorder ensues as Chicago is put under quarantine as the virus spreads. Dr.Ally Hextell (Jennifer Ehle) and her team discover the components of the virus and try to develop an antidote before the death toll rises.
World War Z (2013) - 7.0
World War Z made headlines as one of the highest-grossing zombie films to be released. Brad Pitt played the main role of Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator. Gerry and his family are stuck in traffic when the city is overrun by zombies. He and his family manage to escape to a U.S. Navy vessel who are determining the virus's origin.
Gerry volunteers to aid in finding the virus's source in order to keep his family safe. As he and a team travel through possible leads of where the infection first occurred, Gerry makes a startling discovery that could lead to a vaccine. The vaccine could help mankind fight off the infected.
Perfect Sense (2011) - 7.1
This science-fiction drama has a bit of romance to level the intense plot. Perfect Sense, starring Eva Green and Ewan McGregor, revolves around an epidemic that causes humans to lose their sensory perceptions. Each loss of sensory perception is first precedented by extreme emotion.
An unattainable urge to cry is followed by loss of smell. Loss of taste occurs after experiencing extreme gluttony or irrational panic. Susan (Green), an epidemiologist, and Micahel (McGregor), a chef, meet and begin a relationship in the chaos of trying to live a normal life during the pandemic.
I Am Legend (2007) - 7.2
I Am Legend is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. The post-apocalyptic action thriller film follows U.S. Army virologist Lt.Col. Robert Neville (Will Smith) in a deserted Manhattan. Years prior, a re-engineered measles virus kills a majority of the population with a small percentage being turned into vampires.
Neville spends his days searching for a cure and looking for rations. One day he is rescued by two immune survivors who plan to go to a survivors camp in Vermont. If what they say is true, Neville intends to find a cure to save the rest of humanity.
Train To Busan (2016) - 7.5
The South Korean film, Train to Busan is a zombie outbreak film starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yi-mi and Mang Dong-seok. Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) isn't the best father after missing his daughter's recital. His daughter convinces him to take take a train trip to Busan to visit her mother.
When they board the train, a young woman runs aboard and turns into a zombie infecting a majority of the passengers. Surrounding cities soon become entirely infected. Seok-woo and other survivors are informed of a quarantine zone in Busan and make the dangerous journey to safety.
Children Of Men (2006) - 7.9
Children of Men is set in the year 2027. Eighteen years prior, humans suffered infertility and severe depression. It leaves the world at the brink of collapse and humanity at the risk of extinction. A surplus of immigrants flees to the UK, the only country with a functioning government. Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is a former activist who is now a cynical bureaucrat.
He is kidnapped by his former wife and leader of the Fish, a militant immigrant right's group, Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore). She wants Theo to get transit paperwork for a young woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey). Along the way, Theo learns why Kee is so important. She is pregnant and people would do anything to use her for political gain.
12 Monkeys (1995) - 8.0
The neo-noir science fiction film, 12 Monkeys received high praise when it first debuted and went on to become a cult classic film. A deadly virus wipes out a majority of humanity in the year 1996. Those who survived were forced to live underground.
In 2035, James Cole (Bruce Willis) is selected to travel back in time to find the truth on whether or not the group Army of Twelve Monkeys released the virus. As he investigates who planned and released the virus, the past and future start to meld together and he might not stop the virus in time.