Review of Contagion (2011) by Matt T — 01 Jan 2015

This movie makes me want to lock myself in my house and never leave. The newest drama in theaters is "Contagion" which chronicles humanity's efforts to save lives when an unknown virus spreads and begins to kill thousands upon thousands in its wake. Another disaster movie about a deadly virus? Been there, done that. But to its credit, "Contagion" does sport an impressive cast and multiple moments of high tension. It's well-filmed, scary, and suspenseful. Unfortunately, the film falls into the trapping that many movies with large ensemble casts find themselves in: all the characters take the steam out of each other's storylines, and we end up not caring about any of them. The heart of any story is its characters, and this film features little to no well-developed characters. Even worse are the many pointless subplots that are both unnecessary to the overall story, but also find no resolution by the film's end. This is the type of movie for people who just like to tune into procedurals with crime scenes and medical offices every week, not people who like at least some remnant of a well told story with meaningful moments and captivating characters. Oh, you'll have fun while you're in the theater, but once you walk out there will be nothing worth remembering, worth talking about, or anything to take away from it. In the end, "Contagion" seems nothing more than an exciting distraction in the world of movies, rather than a truly worthwhile experience.

6.5/10.