Review: Contagion

Many times, horror movies involve a premise that is out of the realm of possibility or at least feels that way. Very rarely do we feel like what is happening on screen could happen to us the next day. Contagion, on the other hand, centers around a nightmare scenario that is hard to dismiss as fiction. This makes the film an unnerving and thought-provoking exercise in the thriller mold.

The movie mostly focuses on the doctors and scientists who are trying to trace the origins of a completely unknown and fast-spreading disease that is bringing the world to its knees. This race against the clock is definitely compelling, but the real center of the story involves Matt Damon's character, who quickly loses both his wife (who also happens to be the very first victim of the virus) and his stepson to the disease before he can blink. Stunned and suddenly facing an entirely new and terrifying life, he quarantines himself and his daughter, the only family he has left, in his house, waiting for good news. While that may sound a bit boring, the struggle raging beneath this main character is wholly compelling and smartly told.

There are quite a few different plot lines to be followed in Contagion and they are handled really well. But the overwhelming theme coming from them all is that while a worldwide epidemic spreads fast, panic and fear spread much quicker. Half of the issues stemming from the virus come to pass because of poor judgement and stupidity from the human race. What could of been a somewhat manageable situation is complicated by human emotions and turned into utter chaos.

Damon, as Mitch Emhoff, is really great here. I think one of the best scenes in the movie comes when a doctor is first telling Mitch that his wife has died, this being just hours after believing that she simply had a flu bug. Mitch's first question after the doctor gives him the horrifying news is "well, can I see her?" After the doctor once again explains that she has died, Mitch still holds a blank stare. He asks a few more questions before rushing off to return home to his stepson. There's no collapse in despair. There are no tears at all. Reality isn't fully reaching him. I found that an extremely interesting and refreshing scene that shows how complicated an emotional state Mitch is in, and how chaotic and confusing this new epidemic has become in just hours.

Don't be fooled, Contagion is not an action-packed "thriller" in the classic sense. While terrifying, it is very deliberate and builds tension and dread slowly. But if you give it a chance, you will be treated to a very smart and well acted film that explores a very real and unpredictable menace.