Top 18 Pandemic and Virus-Themed Movies That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat
movie list infectious disease zombie movies outbreak contagion world war z 28 days later 12 monkeys
Tori Whitacre Martonicz
Explore our handpicked selection of the most gripping pandemic and virus-themed films, featuring thrilling narratives and star-studded casts, perfect for an unforgettable movie night!
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Infection Control Today
After you open your holiday presents, embark on a cinematic journey through pandemics, viruses, and apocalyptic adventures! We've compiled a thrilling list of films that will make your heart race, your mind ponder, and your laughter burst out unexpectedly.

From infectious outbreaks to post-apocalyptic worlds, these movies have it all. So, grab your popcorn, hunker down, and join us on this thrilling rollercoaster of pandemic-themed cinema!

1. Outbreak (1995)

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman

Rotten Tomato Rating: 59%

Outbreak is a fictional story about the American government's response to a deadly pandemic. The story features the possibility of bombing a California town where most of the residents are sick. With Morgan Freeman and Dustin Hoffman, it must be good.

2. Contagion (2011)

Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet

Rotten Tomato Rating: 85%

Contagion explores societal reactions during a pandemic, boasting a star-studded cast.

3. World War Z (2013)

Starring: Brad Pitt

Rotten Tomato Rating: 66%

A mix of pandemic and zombie apocalypse, envisioning a society plagued by a virus. Good movie, but could it really happen?

4. 28 Days Later (2002)

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston

Rotten Tomato Rating: 87%

Set post-pandemic, 1 month after a virus outbreak turns people into "rage" zombies. More zombies….

5. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt

Rotten Tomato Rating: 88%

Combining pandemics and time travel, it follows a quest to uncover a deadly virus's origins. Bruce Willis shines as always.

6. Black Death (2010)

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten

Rotten Tomato Rating: 71%

Set during the bubonic plague, it involves a young monk on a mission to a necromancer-infested village. Eddie is back in the past.

7. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Starring: Vincent Price

Rotten Tomato Rating: 65%

A horrifying adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's story, of course, because…Vincent Price.

8. Flu (2013)

Starring: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Min-ah Park

Rotten Tomato Rating: 61%

Set in South Korea, it depicts chaos amid an airborne virus outbreak near Seoul. Dubbed in English from Korean, the movie is a look into what could happen.

9. Infection (2019)

Starring: Rubén Guevara, Leonidas Urbina, Magdiel González

Rotten Tomato Rating: n/a

A man races to save his son during a rabies virus turning people into rampaging zombies. More zombies….

10. The Happening (2008)

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel

Rotten Tomato Rating: 24%

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it portrays an unknown virus causing suicides. Like most Shyamalan movies, it is suspenseful…and terrifying.

11. Blindness (2008) –

Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo

Rotten Tomato Rating: 44%

A world grappling with an epidemic that causes blindness. This is an adaption of Jose Sarmago’s 1995 book of the same name. Sarmago is a Portuguese author.

12. Bird Box (2018)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich

Rotten Tomato Rating: 64%

Netflix original where a mysterious pathogen prompts mass suicides.

13. Carriers (2009)

Starring: Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci –

Rotten Tomato Rating: 66%

Four friends navigate a virus outbreak while confronting their own darkness. Sounds good with Chris Pine in it.

14. Zombieland (2009)

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson

Rotten Tomato Rating: 89%

A humorous take on a "mad zombie disease" spreading across the US. Good to have some humor!

15. I Am Legend (2007)

Starring: Will Smith

Rotten Tomato Rating: 69%

It is set in a post-apocalyptic world after a pathogen outbreak transforms humans.

16. Quarantine (2008)

Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short

Rotten Tomato Rating: 56%

A "found footage" film follows a TV reporter and cameraman in a quarantined building.

17. The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Starring: James Olson, David Wayne, Arthur Hill, and Kate Reid

Rotten Tomato Rating: 67%

Based on Michael Crichton's novel, it follows scientists investigating a mysterious virus's impact on a town.

18. Containment (2015)