🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 199 (from laksa087)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa199.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://parade.com/1149779/kimberlyzapata/best-virus-movies/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://parade.com/1149779/kimberlyzapata/best-virus-movies/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/parade.com\/1149779\/kimberlyzapata\/best-virus-movies\/","crawl_time":1776062969,"first_indexed_time":1612914576,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,parade!\/1149779\/kimberlyzapata\/best-virus-movies\/ s443","src_root_hash":"775817337250875599","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"20 Best Movies About Viruses and Pandemics - Parade","meta_descriptions":["Here's our list of 20 best movies about viruses and pandemics to stream. These virus movies and pandemic movies will keep you glued to your seat."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"For many people,\nmovies\nare an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and\ninspirational\n.\nHere are 20 of the\nbest movies\nabout pandemics, viruses and outbreaks. \n🎬\nSIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox\n.\n🎬\nOutbreak\nWarner Bros.\n1.\nOutbreak\n(1995)\nOne of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is\nOutbreak\n, a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States.\nStarring:\nDustin Hoffman\n,\nRene Russo\n,\nMorgan Freeman\nContagion\nWarner Bros.\n2.\nContagion\n(2011)\nMade in 2011,\nContagion\nis an exceptionally smart (and\nscary\n) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too.\nStarring: Marion Cotillard,\nMatt Damon\n, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet\nWorld War Z\nSkydance Productions\n3.\nWorld War Z\n(2013)\nPart pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie,\nWorld War Z\n \nis a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters.\nStarring:\nBrad Pitt\n28 Days Later\nDNA Films\n4.\n28 Days Later\n(2002)\nSet in the city of London (and much like\nWorld War Z),\n28 Days Later\n \nis a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed:\n28 Weeks Later\n(2007),\n28 Years Later\n(2025) and\n28 Years Later: The Bone Temple\n(2026), with at least another one the way.\nStarring:\nCillian Murphy\n,\nNaomie Harris\n,\nChristopher Eccleston\nRelated:\nWe Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’\nThe Andromeda Strain\nUniversal Pictures\n5.\nThe Andromeda Strain\n(1971)\nBased on the 1969 novel by\nMichael Crichton\n,\nThe Andromeda Strain\n follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town.\nStarring:\nJames Olson\n,\nArthur Hill\n, \nDavid Wayne\nQuarantine\nScreen Gems\n6.\nQuarantine\n(2008)\nFans of\nThe Blair Witch Project\nwill love\nQuarantine\n. Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control. \nStarring:\nJennifer Carpenter\n,\nSteve Harris\n,\nColumbus Short\n7.\nI Am Legend\n(2007)\nSet several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), \nI Am Legend\nfollows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors.\nStarring:\nWill Smith\nThe Last Man on Earth\nAssociated Producers\n8.\nThe Last Man on Earth\n(1964)\nMade in 1964 and starring the one and only\nVincent Price\n,\nThe Last Man on Earth\nfollows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of\nRichard Matheson\n‘s\nI Am Legend\n.\nStarring:\nVincent Price\n12 Monkeys\nAtlas Entertainment\n9.\n12 Monkeys\n(1995)\nPart pandemic story, part time-travel feature,\n12 Monkeys\nfollows the journey of James Cole (\nBruce Willis\n) from 2030 back to the\n1990s\n, where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population.\nStarring:\nBruce Willis,\nMadeleine Stowe\n, Brad Pitt\nDeath in Venice\nAlfa Cinematografica\n10.\nDeath in Venice\n(1971)\nIn\nDeath in Venice\n,\ncomposer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera.\nStarring:\nDirk Bogarde\n,\nRomolo Valli\n, \nMark Burns\nRelated:\n21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies\nBlack Death\nEgoli Tossell Film\/HanWay Films\/Ecosse Films\/Zephyr Films\n11.\nBlack Death\n(2010)\nSet in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague,\nBlack Death\nfollows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric (\nSean Bean\n) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead.\nStarring:\nEddie Redmayne\n, Sean Bean, \nCarice van Houten\nRelated:\nWe Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’\nThe Masque of the Red Death\nAlta Vista Productions\n12.\nThe Masque of the Red Death\n(1964)\nAlso starring Vincent Price,\nThe Masque of the Red Death\n \nis a horrific adaptation of\nEdgar Allen Poe\n’s short story of the same name.\nStarring:\nVincent Price\nFlu\niLoveCinema\n13.\nFlu\n(2013)\nSet in South Korea,\nFlu\nhighlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.\nStarring:\nJang Hyuk\n,\nSoo Ae,\n \nMin-ah Park\nThe Cassandra Crossing\nITC Entertainment\n14.\nThe Cassandra Crossing\n(1976)\nOne of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless,\nThe Cassandra Crossing\n \nis a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really.\nStarring:\nSophia Loren\n,\nRichard Harris\n, \nMartin Sheen\n15.\nInfection\n(2019)\nIn\nInfection\n, a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies.\nStarring:\nRubén Guevara\n,\nLeonidas Urbina,\n \nMagdiel González\nThe Happening\n20th century fox\n16.\nThe Happening\n(2008)\nDirected by\nM. Night Shyamalan\nand starring\nMark Wahlberg\nand\nZooey Deschanel\n,\nThe Happening\nis an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide.\nStarring:\nMark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel\nRelated:\n25 Best Action Movies\nBlindness\nAlliance Films\n17.\nBlindness\n(2008)\nJulianne Moore\nand\nMark Ruffalo\nstar in\nBlindness\n, the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness.\nStarring:\nJulianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo\nBird Box\nUniversal Pictures\n18.\nBird Box\n(2018)\nA\nNetflix\noriginal feature,\nBird Box\nfollows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide.\nStarring:\nSandra Bullock\n,\nTrevante Rhodes\n, \nJohn Malkovich\nCarriers\nParamount Vantage\n19.\nCarriers\n(2009)\nWhen a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in\nCarriers\n, four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease.\nStarring:\nChris Pine\n,\nPiper Perabo\n, \nLou Taylor Pucci\nColumbia Pictures\n20.\nZombieland\n(2009)\nWhile\nZombieland\nisn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses.\nStarring:\nJesse Eisenberg\n,\nEmma Stone\n,\nWoody Harrelson\nAbout the author","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/parade.com\/1149779\/kimberlyzapata\/best-virus-movies\/#main-content)\n\nAmerica's Favorite Small Towns 2026\n\n[Find out more about our 40 finalists\\!](https:\/\/americasfavoritesmalltowns.parade.com\/)\n\nNewsletter\n\nSign in\n\n[![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNTQxODg0\/parade-header.svg?io=1&profile=w256)](https:\/\/parade.com\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNTQxODg0\/parade-header.svg?io=1&profile=w256)](https:\/\/parade.com\/)\n\n- [News](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/parade.com\/entertainment\/)\n  Entertainment\n  \n  [All Entertainment](https:\/\/parade.com\/entertainment\/)[Celebrities](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/)[TV](https:\/\/parade.com\/tv\/)[Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/movies\/)\n  \n  [Books](https:\/\/parade.com\/books\/)[Music](https:\/\/parade.com\/tag\/music\/)[Cover Stories](https:\/\/parade.com\/tag\/digital-cover\/)[Royals](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/royals\/)\n  \n  [View post: Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads)![Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTQw\/premiere-of-netflixs-people-we-meet-on-vacation-arrivals.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n  \n  [Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads)\n  \n  Read More\n  \n  [View post: When Does the Next Episode of ‘Euphoria’ Come Out? 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Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https:\/\/parade.com\/tv\/euphoria-season-3-release-schedule-episodes-dates-time)![When Does the Next Episode of ‘Euphoria’ Come Out? Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODUyMDUx\/zendaya-in-euphoria.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n  \n  [When Does the Next Episode of ‘Euphoria’ Come Out? Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https:\/\/parade.com\/tv\/euphoria-season-3-release-schedule-episodes-dates-time)\n  \n  Read More\n\nNewsletter\n\nSign in\n\n1. [Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/movies\/)\n\n# Here are 20 Pandemic and Virus Movies You Can Stream Right Now\nFrom ‘World War Z’ to ‘Bird Box,’ get our list of the best films about outbreaks, diseases and occasionally, zombies.\n\nJan 4, 2026 5:08 PM EST\n\n![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky\/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n\nBy [Kimberly Zapata](https:\/\/parade.com\/author\/kimberlyzapata)\n\n0\n\n[Add us on](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=parade.com)\n\n![Zombieland](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0\/best-virus-movies-zombieland.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&ar=4-3)\n\nZombieland\n\nRelated Articles\n\n[View post: 1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history)![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY2NTU1\/anthony-hopkins.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n\nNews\n\n[1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history)\n\nAndrea Reiher\n\n4 hours ago\n\n[View post: 1995 Ultimate Classic Named No. 1 Hit Song Became an Unconditional Power Ballad](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1995-ultimate-classic-named-no-1-hit-song-became-an-unconditional-power-ballad)![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTIy\/seal-hollywood-bowl-1995.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1&x=52&y=23)\n\nNews\n\n[1995 Ultimate Classic Named No. 1 Hit Song Became an Unconditional Power Ballad](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1995-ultimate-classic-named-no-1-hit-song-became-an-unconditional-power-ballad)\n\nGeca Flores\n\n4 hours ago\n\n[View post: 'I Live for my Sons': Princess Diana's Heartwarming Quotes About Parenting](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/i-live-for-my-sons-princess-dianas-heartwarming-quotes-about-parenting)![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTY2\/diana-on-holiday-with-sons.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n\nNews\n\n['I Live for my Sons': Princess Diana's Heartwarming Quotes About Parenting](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/i-live-for-my-sons-princess-dianas-heartwarming-quotes-about-parenting)\n\nLaura Rizzo Chagani\n\n4 hours ago\n\n[View post: Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads)![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTQw\/premiere-of-netflixs-people-we-meet-on-vacation-arrivals.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n\nNews\n\n[Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads)\n\nNina Derwin\n\n4 hours ago\n\nFor many people, [movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/1222580\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-all-time\/) are an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and [inspirational](https:\/\/parade.com\/973277\/jessicasager\/inspirational-quotes\/).\n\n**Here are 20 of the [best movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/1222580\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-all-time\/) about pandemics, viruses and outbreaks.**\n\n🎬 **[SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox](https:\/\/parade.com\/newsletters\/daily?utm_source=article&utm_medium=top).** 🎬\n\n## Best Pandemic and Virus Movies\n!['Outbreak' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjQw\/pandemic-movies-outbreak.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nOutbreak\n\nWarner Bros.\n### 1\\. *Outbreak* (1995)\nOne of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is *[Outbreak](https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y5povsMKfT4)*, a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States.\n\n- **Starring:** **Dustin Hoffman**, **Rene Russo**, **[Morgan Freeman](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/morgan-freeman-net-worth)**\n\n!['Contagion' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjUz\/pandemic-movies-contagion.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nContagion\n\nWarner Bros.\n### 2\\. *Contagion* (2011)\nMade in 2011, *[Contagion](https:\/\/youtu.be\/I5VfNKCQF60)* is an exceptionally smart (and [scary](https:\/\/parade.com\/living\/scary-games)) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too.\n\n- **Starring: Marion Cotillard, [Matt Damon](https:\/\/parade.com\/1241483\/jessicasager\/matt-damon-net-worth\/), Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet**\n\n!['World War Z' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Njkw\/pandemic-movies-world-war-z.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nWorld War Z\n\nSkydance Productions\n### 3\\. *World War Z* (2013)\nPart pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie, *[World War Z](https:\/\/youtu.be\/Md6Dvxdr0AQ)* is a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Brad Pitt](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/brad-pitt-net-worth)**\n\n![28 Days Later movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzI3\/pandemic-movies-28-days-later.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\n28 Days Later\n\nDNA Films\n### 4\\. *28 Days Later* (2002)\nSet in the city of London (and much like *World War Z), [28 Days Later](https:\/\/youtu.be\/7suz9ndPBHg)* is a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed: *28 Weeks Later* (2007), *28 Years Later* (2025) and *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple* (2026), with at least another one the way.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Cillian Murphy](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/cillian-murphy-wife-yvonne-mcguinness)**, **Naomie Harris**, **Christopher Eccleston**\n\n**Related: [We Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’](https:\/\/parade.com\/1038367\/samuelmurrian\/best-horror-movies-of-all-time\/)**\n\n![Andromeda Strain movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzMy\/pandemic-movies-andromeda-strain.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Andromeda Strain\n\nUniversal Pictures\n### 5\\. *The Andromeda Strain* (1971)\nBased on the 1969 novel by **Michael Crichton**, *[The Andromeda Strain](https:\/\/youtu.be\/YMbSpnlOOtE)* follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town.\n\n- **Starring:** **James Olson**, **Arthur Hill**, **David Wayne**\n\n![Quarantine movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzQw\/pandemic-movies-quarantine.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nQuarantine\n\nScreen Gems\n### 6\\. *Quarantine* (2008)\nFans of *The Blair Witch Project* will love *[Quarantine](https:\/\/youtu.be\/iYCwlnZ0HVI)*. Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jennifer Carpenter**, **Steve Harris**, **Columbus Short**\n### 7\\. *I Am Legend* (2007)\nSet several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), *I Am Legend* follows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Will Smith](https:\/\/parade.com\/1283407\/jessicasager\/will-smith-net-worth\/)**\n\n!['The Last Man on Earth' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzU2\/pandemic-movies-last-man-on-earth.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Last Man on Earth\n\nAssociated Producers\n### 8\\. *The Last Man on Earth* (1964)\nMade in 1964 and starring the one and only **Vincent Price**, *[The Last Man on Earth](https:\/\/youtu.be\/4i7mcozmMZ4)* follows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of **Richard Matheson**‘s *I Am Legend*.\n\n- **Starring:** Vincent Price\n\n!['12 Monkeys' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzc2\/pandemic-movies-12-monkeys.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\n12 Monkeys\n\nAtlas Entertainment\n### 9\\. *12 Monkeys* (1995)\nPart pandemic story, part time-travel feature, *[12 Monkeys](https:\/\/youtu.be\/15s4Y9ffW_o)* follows the journey of James Cole (**[Bruce Willis](https:\/\/parade.com\/1360942\/rose-maura-lorre\/bruce-willis-net-worth\/)**) from 2030 back to the [1990s](https:\/\/parade.com\/1075273\/jessicasager\/90s-trivia\/), where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population.\n\n- **Starring:** Bruce Willis, **Madeleine Stowe**, Brad Pitt\n\n![Death in Venice movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzg4\/pandemic-movies-death-in-venice.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nDeath in Venice\n\nAlfa Cinematografica\n### 10\\. *Death in Venice* (1971)\nIn *[Death in Venice](https:\/\/youtu.be\/-pxn49yWVJk),* composer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera.\n\n- **Starring:** **Dirk Bogarde**, **Romolo Valli**, **Mark Burns**\n\n**Related: [21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/632586\/samuelmurrian\/15-inspiring-uplifting-movies-you-can-watch-right-now-on-netflix-for-a-hopeful-new-year\/)**\n\n![Black Death movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODA3\/pandemic-movies-black-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBlack Death\n\nEgoli Tossell Film\/HanWay Films\/Ecosse Films\/Zephyr Films\n### 11\\. *Black Death* (2010)\nSet in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague, *[Black Death](https:\/\/youtu.be\/uTxywr3ww64)* follows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric (**Sean Bean**) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead.\n\n- **Starring:** **Eddie Redmayne**, Sean Bean, **Carice van Houten**\n\n**Related: [We Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’](https:\/\/parade.com\/711346\/samuelmurrian\/we-ranked-all-10-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-movies-including-fantastic-beasts-2\/)**\n\n![Masque of the Red Death scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODE0\/pandemic-movies-mask-of-the-red-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Masque of the Red Death\n\nAlta Vista Productions\n### 12\\. *The Masque of the Red Death* (1964)\nAlso starring Vincent Price, *[The Masque of the Red Death](https:\/\/youtu.be\/uTxywr3ww64)* is a horrific adaptation of **Edgar Allen Poe**’s short story of the same name.\n\n- **Starring:** Vincent Price\n\n![Flu movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTE4\/pandemic-movies-flu.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nFlu\n\niLoveCinema\n### 13\\. *Flu* (2013)\nSet in South Korea, *[Flu](https:\/\/youtu.be\/eY5VLSNVt-c)* highlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jang Hyuk**, **Soo Ae,** **Min-ah Park**\n\n![Cassandra Crossing scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTI5\/pandemic-movies-cassandra-crossing.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Cassandra Crossing\n\nITC Entertainment\n### 14\\. *The Cassandra Crossing* (1976)\nOne of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless, *[The Cassandra Crossing](https:\/\/youtu.be\/FrYKtN_BmnM)* is a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really.\n\n- **Starring:** **Sophia Loren**, **Richard Harris**, **Martin Sheen**\n### 15\\. *Infection* (2019)\nIn *Infection*, a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies.\n\n- **Starring:** **Rubén Guevara**, **Leonidas Urbina,** **Magdiel González**\n\n![the Happening movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTM3\/pandemic-movies-the-happening.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Happening\n\n20th century fox\n### 16\\. *The Happening* (2008)\nDirected by **M. Night Shyamalan** and starring **[Mark Wahlberg](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/mark-wahlberg-net-worth)** and **Zooey Deschanel**, *[The Happening](https:\/\/youtu.be\/1I9ZQVK8gV8)* is an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide.\n\n- **Starring:** Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel\n\n**Related: [25 Best Action Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/905888\/samuelmurrian\/netflix-best-action-movies\/)**\n\n![Blindness movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTQ4\/pandemic-movies-blindness.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBlindness\n\nAlliance Films\n### 17\\. *Blindness* (2008)\n**Julianne Moore** and **Mark Ruffalo** star in *[Blindness](https:\/\/youtu.be\/XvTvP55cxM0)*, the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness.\n\n- **Starring:** Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo\n\n!['Bird Box' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTUz\/pandemic-movies-bird-box.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBird Box\n\nUniversal Pictures\n### 18\\. *Bird Box* (2018)\nA [Netflix](https:\/\/parade.com\/1015716\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-on-netflix\/) original feature, *[Bird Box](https:\/\/youtu.be\/RHhoWXQUsEc)* follows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Sandra Bullock](https:\/\/parade.com\/1305453\/jessicasager\/sandra-bullock-net-worth\/)**, **Trevante Rhodes**, **John Malkovich**\n\n!['Carriers' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTU5\/pandemic-movies-carriers.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nCarriers\n\nParamount Vantage\n### 19\\. *Carriers* (2009)\nWhen a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in *[Carriers](https:\/\/youtu.be\/WxUyBZIRu60)*, four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease.\n\n- **Starring:** **Chris Pine**, **Piper Perabo**, **Lou Taylor Pucci**\n\n![Zombieland scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0\/best-virus-movies-zombieland-512022.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560)\n\nColumbia Pictures\n### 20\\. *Zombieland* (2009)\nWhile *[Zombieland](https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1156398\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)* isn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jesse Eisenberg**, **[Emma Stone](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/emma-stone-net-worth)**, **[Woody Harrelson](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/woody-harrelson-net-worth)**\n\n[View post: The Best New Movies to Stream or See in Theaters This December](https:\/\/parade.com\/movies\/best-new-movies-to-watch-december-2025)![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxMjYzNjkw\/song-sung-blue-1.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&ar=1-1)\n\nMovies\n\n[The Best New Movies to Stream or See in Theaters This December](https:\/\/parade.com\/movies\/best-new-movies-to-watch-december-2025)\n\nFrom holiday romcoms to Oscar hopefuls, here are 20 new movies arriving in December 2025 on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more.\n\nPatti Greco\n\n## About the author\n![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky\/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)\n\n## [Kimberly Zapata](https:\/\/parade.com\/author\/kimberlyzapata)\n\nStart the Conversation\n\nTrending Stories\n\n01\n\nNews\n\n[1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history)\n\nAndrea Reiher\n\n4 hours ago\n\n02\n\nNews\n\n[1987 Classic Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1987-classic-hit-film-ranked-among-best-movies-of-all-time)\n\nNina Derwin\n\n5 hours ago\n\n03\n\nNews\n\n[1957 Hit Film Was Just Ranked 'the Greatest American Movie' of All Time](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1957-hit-film-was-just-ranked-the-greatest-american-movie-of-all-time)\n\nNicole Moore\n\n6 hours ago\n\n04\n\nNews\n\n[1943 Hit Classic Film Ranked Among 'Best Movies of All Time'](https:\/\/parade.com\/news\/1943-hit-classic-film-ranked-among-best-movies-of-all-time)\n\nJane LaCroix\n\n12 hours ago\n\n[![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNTQxODgz\/parade-footer.svg?io=1&profile=w256)](https:\/\/parade.com\/)\n***\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/parade.com\/entertainment\/)\n  Entertainment\n  - 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[Taylor Swift](https:\/\/parade.com\/tag\/taylor-swift\/)\n***\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/parade.com\/sitemap)\n- [About Parade](https:\/\/parade.com\/about-us)\n- [About Parade Health](https:\/\/parade.com\/about-parade-health)\n- [Editorial Policy](https:\/\/parade.com\/editorial-policy)\n- [Advertise With Us](mailto:paradesales@thearenagroup.net)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/thearenagroup.net\/our-brands\/parade\/)\n- [Licensing Request](https:\/\/info.wrightsmedia.com\/the-arena-group-licensing)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/thearenagroup.net\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/thearenagroup.net\/terms-of-use\/)\n\n© 2026 The Arena Media Brands, LLC PARADE is a registered trademark of Athlon Sports Communications, Inc.","attrs_readable_markdown":"For many people, [movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/1222580\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-all-time\/) are an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and [inspirational](https:\/\/parade.com\/973277\/jessicasager\/inspirational-quotes\/).\n\n**Here are 20 of the [best movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/1222580\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-all-time\/) about pandemics, viruses and outbreaks.**\n\n🎬 **[SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox](https:\/\/parade.com\/newsletters\/daily?utm_source=article&utm_medium=top).** 🎬\n\n!['Outbreak' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjQw\/pandemic-movies-outbreak.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nOutbreak\n\nWarner Bros.\n### 1\\. *Outbreak* (1995)\nOne of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is *[Outbreak](https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y5povsMKfT4)*, a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States.\n\n- **Starring:** **Dustin Hoffman**, **Rene Russo**, **[Morgan Freeman](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/morgan-freeman-net-worth)**\n\n!['Contagion' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjUz\/pandemic-movies-contagion.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nContagion\n\nWarner Bros.\n### 2\\. *Contagion* (2011)\nMade in 2011, *[Contagion](https:\/\/youtu.be\/I5VfNKCQF60)* is an exceptionally smart (and [scary](https:\/\/parade.com\/living\/scary-games)) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too.\n\n- **Starring: Marion Cotillard, [Matt Damon](https:\/\/parade.com\/1241483\/jessicasager\/matt-damon-net-worth\/), Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet**\n\n!['World War Z' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Njkw\/pandemic-movies-world-war-z.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nWorld War Z\n\nSkydance Productions\n### 3\\. *World War Z* (2013)\nPart pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie, *[World War Z](https:\/\/youtu.be\/Md6Dvxdr0AQ)* is a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Brad Pitt](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/brad-pitt-net-worth)**\n\n![28 Days Later movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzI3\/pandemic-movies-28-days-later.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\n28 Days Later\n\nDNA Films\n### 4\\. *28 Days Later* (2002)\nSet in the city of London (and much like *World War Z), [28 Days Later](https:\/\/youtu.be\/7suz9ndPBHg)* is a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed: *28 Weeks Later* (2007), *28 Years Later* (2025) and *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple* (2026), with at least another one the way.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Cillian Murphy](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/cillian-murphy-wife-yvonne-mcguinness)**, **Naomie Harris**, **Christopher Eccleston**\n\n**Related: [We Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’](https:\/\/parade.com\/1038367\/samuelmurrian\/best-horror-movies-of-all-time\/)**\n\n![Andromeda Strain movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzMy\/pandemic-movies-andromeda-strain.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Andromeda Strain\n\nUniversal Pictures\n### 5\\. *The Andromeda Strain* (1971)\nBased on the 1969 novel by **Michael Crichton**, *[The Andromeda Strain](https:\/\/youtu.be\/YMbSpnlOOtE)* follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town.\n\n- **Starring:** **James Olson**, **Arthur Hill**, **David Wayne**\n\n![Quarantine movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzQw\/pandemic-movies-quarantine.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nQuarantine\n\nScreen Gems\n### 6\\. *Quarantine* (2008)\nFans of *The Blair Witch Project* will love *[Quarantine](https:\/\/youtu.be\/iYCwlnZ0HVI)*. Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jennifer Carpenter**, **Steve Harris**, **Columbus Short**\n### 7\\. *I Am Legend* (2007)\nSet several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), *I Am Legend* follows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Will Smith](https:\/\/parade.com\/1283407\/jessicasager\/will-smith-net-worth\/)**\n\n!['The Last Man on Earth' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzU2\/pandemic-movies-last-man-on-earth.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Last Man on Earth\n\nAssociated Producers\n### 8\\. *The Last Man on Earth* (1964)\nMade in 1964 and starring the one and only **Vincent Price**, *[The Last Man on Earth](https:\/\/youtu.be\/4i7mcozmMZ4)* follows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of **Richard Matheson**‘s *I Am Legend*.\n\n- **Starring:** Vincent Price\n\n!['12 Monkeys' movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzc2\/pandemic-movies-12-monkeys.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\n12 Monkeys\n\nAtlas Entertainment\n### 9\\. *12 Monkeys* (1995)\nPart pandemic story, part time-travel feature, *[12 Monkeys](https:\/\/youtu.be\/15s4Y9ffW_o)* follows the journey of James Cole (**[Bruce Willis](https:\/\/parade.com\/1360942\/rose-maura-lorre\/bruce-willis-net-worth\/)**) from 2030 back to the [1990s](https:\/\/parade.com\/1075273\/jessicasager\/90s-trivia\/), where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population.\n\n- **Starring:** Bruce Willis, **Madeleine Stowe**, Brad Pitt\n\n![Death in Venice movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzg4\/pandemic-movies-death-in-venice.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nDeath in Venice\n\nAlfa Cinematografica\n### 10\\. *Death in Venice* (1971)\nIn *[Death in Venice](https:\/\/youtu.be\/-pxn49yWVJk),* composer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera.\n\n- **Starring:** **Dirk Bogarde**, **Romolo Valli**, **Mark Burns**\n\n**Related: [21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/632586\/samuelmurrian\/15-inspiring-uplifting-movies-you-can-watch-right-now-on-netflix-for-a-hopeful-new-year\/)**\n\n![Black Death movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODA3\/pandemic-movies-black-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBlack Death\n\nEgoli Tossell Film\/HanWay Films\/Ecosse Films\/Zephyr Films\n### 11\\. *Black Death* (2010)\nSet in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague, *[Black Death](https:\/\/youtu.be\/uTxywr3ww64)* follows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric (**Sean Bean**) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead.\n\n- **Starring:** **Eddie Redmayne**, Sean Bean, **Carice van Houten**\n\n**Related: [We Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’](https:\/\/parade.com\/711346\/samuelmurrian\/we-ranked-all-10-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-movies-including-fantastic-beasts-2\/)**\n\n![Masque of the Red Death scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODE0\/pandemic-movies-mask-of-the-red-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Masque of the Red Death\n\nAlta Vista Productions\n### 12\\. *The Masque of the Red Death* (1964)\nAlso starring Vincent Price, *[The Masque of the Red Death](https:\/\/youtu.be\/uTxywr3ww64)* is a horrific adaptation of **Edgar Allen Poe**’s short story of the same name.\n\n- **Starring:** Vincent Price\n\n![Flu movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTE4\/pandemic-movies-flu.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nFlu\n\niLoveCinema\n### 13\\. *Flu* (2013)\nSet in South Korea, *[Flu](https:\/\/youtu.be\/eY5VLSNVt-c)* highlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jang Hyuk**, **Soo Ae,** **Min-ah Park**\n\n![Cassandra Crossing scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTI5\/pandemic-movies-cassandra-crossing.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Cassandra Crossing\n\nITC Entertainment\n### 14\\. *The Cassandra Crossing* (1976)\nOne of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless, *[The Cassandra Crossing](https:\/\/youtu.be\/FrYKtN_BmnM)* is a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really.\n\n- **Starring:** **Sophia Loren**, **Richard Harris**, **Martin Sheen**\n### 15\\. *Infection* (2019)\nIn *Infection*, a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies.\n\n- **Starring:** **Rubén Guevara**, **Leonidas Urbina,** **Magdiel González**\n\n![the Happening movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTM3\/pandemic-movies-the-happening.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nThe Happening\n\n20th century fox\n### 16\\. *The Happening* (2008)\nDirected by **M. Night Shyamalan** and starring **[Mark Wahlberg](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/mark-wahlberg-net-worth)** and **Zooey Deschanel**, *[The Happening](https:\/\/youtu.be\/1I9ZQVK8gV8)* is an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide.\n\n- **Starring:** Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel\n\n**Related: [25 Best Action Movies](https:\/\/parade.com\/905888\/samuelmurrian\/netflix-best-action-movies\/)**\n\n![Blindness movie scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTQ4\/pandemic-movies-blindness.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBlindness\n\nAlliance Films\n### 17\\. *Blindness* (2008)\n**Julianne Moore** and **Mark Ruffalo** star in *[Blindness](https:\/\/youtu.be\/XvTvP55cxM0)*, the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness.\n\n- **Starring:** Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo\n\n!['Bird Box' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTUz\/pandemic-movies-bird-box.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nBird Box\n\nUniversal Pictures\n### 18\\. *Bird Box* (2018)\nA [Netflix](https:\/\/parade.com\/1015716\/samuelmurrian\/best-movies-on-netflix\/) original feature, *[Bird Box](https:\/\/youtu.be\/RHhoWXQUsEc)* follows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide.\n\n- **Starring:** **[Sandra Bullock](https:\/\/parade.com\/1305453\/jessicasager\/sandra-bullock-net-worth\/)**, **Trevante Rhodes**, **John Malkovich**\n\n!['Carriers' scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTU5\/pandemic-movies-carriers.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0)\n\nCarriers\n\nParamount Vantage\n### 19\\. *Carriers* (2009)\nWhen a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in *[Carriers](https:\/\/youtu.be\/WxUyBZIRu60)*, four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease.\n\n- **Starring:** **Chris Pine**, **Piper Perabo**, **Lou Taylor Pucci**\n\n![Zombieland scene](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0\/best-virus-movies-zombieland-512022.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560)\n\nColumbia Pictures\n### 20\\. *Zombieland* (2009)\nWhile *[Zombieland](https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1156398\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)* isn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses.\n\n- **Starring:** **Jesse Eisenberg**, **[Emma Stone](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/emma-stone-net-worth)**, **[Woody Harrelson](https:\/\/parade.com\/celebrities\/woody-harrelson-net-worth)**\n\n## About the author\n![](https:\/\/parade.com\/.image\/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky\/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	For many people, movies are an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and inspirational . Here are 20 of the best movies about pandemics, viruses and outbreaks. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox . 🎬 Outbreak Warner Bros. 1. Outbreak (1995) One of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is Outbreak , a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States. Starring: Dustin Hoffman , Rene Russo , Morgan Freeman Contagion Warner Bros. 2. Contagion (2011) Made in 2011, Contagion is an exceptionally smart (and scary ) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too. Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon , Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet World War Z Skydance Productions 3. World War Z (2013) Part pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie, World War Z is a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters. Starring: Brad Pitt 28 Days Later DNA Films 4. 28 Days Later (2002) Set in the city of London (and much like World War Z), 28 Days Later is a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed: 28 Weeks Later (2007), 28 Years Later (2025) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), with at least another one the way. Starring: Cillian Murphy , Naomie Harris , Christopher Eccleston Related: We Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’ The Andromeda Strain Universal Pictures 5. The Andromeda Strain (1971) Based on the 1969 novel by Michael Crichton , The Andromeda Strain follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town. Starring: James Olson , Arthur Hill , David Wayne Quarantine Screen Gems 6. Quarantine (2008) Fans of The Blair Witch Project will love Quarantine . Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control. Starring: Jennifer Carpenter , Steve Harris , Columbus Short 7. I Am Legend (2007) Set several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), I Am Legend follows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors. Starring: Will Smith The Last Man on Earth Associated Producers 8. The Last Man on Earth (1964) Made in 1964 and starring the one and only Vincent Price , The Last Man on Earth follows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of Richard Matheson ‘s I Am Legend . Starring: Vincent Price 12 Monkeys Atlas Entertainment 9. 12 Monkeys (1995) Part pandemic story, part time-travel feature, 12 Monkeys follows the journey of James Cole ( Bruce Willis ) from 2030 back to the 1990s , where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population. Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe , Brad Pitt Death in Venice Alfa Cinematografica 10. Death in Venice (1971) In Death in Venice , composer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera. Starring: Dirk Bogarde , Romolo Valli , Mark Burns Related: 21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies Black Death Egoli Tossell Film/HanWay Films/Ecosse Films/Zephyr Films 11. Black Death (2010) Set in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague, Black Death follows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric ( Sean Bean ) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead. Starring: Eddie Redmayne , Sean Bean, Carice van Houten Related: We Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’ The Masque of the Red Death Alta Vista Productions 12. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Also starring Vincent Price, The Masque of the Red Death is a horrific adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe ’s short story of the same name. Starring: Vincent Price Flu iLoveCinema 13. Flu (2013) Set in South Korea, Flu highlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul. Starring: Jang Hyuk , Soo Ae, Min-ah Park The Cassandra Crossing ITC Entertainment 14. The Cassandra Crossing (1976) One of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless, The Cassandra Crossing is a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really. Starring: Sophia Loren , Richard Harris , Martin Sheen 15. Infection (2019) In Infection , a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies. Starring: Rubén Guevara , Leonidas Urbina, Magdiel González The Happening 20th century fox 16. The Happening (2008) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel , The Happening is an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide. Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel Related: 25 Best Action Movies Blindness Alliance Films 17. Blindness (2008) Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star in Blindness , the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness. Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo Bird Box Universal Pictures 18. Bird Box (2018) A Netflix original feature, Bird Box follows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide. Starring: Sandra Bullock , Trevante Rhodes , John Malkovich Carriers Paramount Vantage 19. Carriers (2009) When a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in Carriers , four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease. Starring: Chris Pine , Piper Perabo , Lou Taylor Pucci Columbia Pictures 20. Zombieland (2009) While Zombieland isn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses. Starring: Jesse Eisenberg , Emma Stone , Woody Harrelson About the author
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Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https://parade.com/tv/euphoria-season-3-release-schedule-episodes-dates-time)![When Does the Next Episode of ‘Euphoria’ Come Out? Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODUyMDUx/zendaya-in-euphoria.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) [When Does the Next Episode of ‘Euphoria’ Come Out? Season 3 Release Schedule, Episode Count and More](https://parade.com/tv/euphoria-season-3-release-schedule-episodes-dates-time) Read More Newsletter Sign in 1. [Movies](https://parade.com/movies/) # Here are 20 Pandemic and Virus Movies You Can Stream Right Now From ‘World War Z’ to ‘Bird Box,’ get our list of the best films about outbreaks, diseases and occasionally, zombies. Jan 4, 2026 5:08 PM EST ![](https://parade.com/.image/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) By [Kimberly Zapata](https://parade.com/author/kimberlyzapata) 0 [Add us on](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=parade.com) ![Zombieland](https://parade.com/.image/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0/best-virus-movies-zombieland.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&ar=4-3) Zombieland Related Articles [View post: 1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https://parade.com/news/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history)![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY2NTU1/anthony-hopkins.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) News [1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https://parade.com/news/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history) Andrea Reiher 4 hours ago [View post: 1995 Ultimate Classic Named No. 1 Hit Song Became an Unconditional Power Ballad](https://parade.com/news/1995-ultimate-classic-named-no-1-hit-song-became-an-unconditional-power-ballad)![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTIy/seal-hollywood-bowl-1995.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1&x=52&y=23) News [1995 Ultimate Classic Named No. 1 Hit Song Became an Unconditional Power Ballad](https://parade.com/news/1995-ultimate-classic-named-no-1-hit-song-became-an-unconditional-power-ballad) Geca Flores 4 hours ago [View post: 'I Live for my Sons': Princess Diana's Heartwarming Quotes About Parenting](https://parade.com/news/i-live-for-my-sons-princess-dianas-heartwarming-quotes-about-parenting)![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTY2/diana-on-holiday-with-sons.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) News ['I Live for my Sons': Princess Diana's Heartwarming Quotes About Parenting](https://parade.com/news/i-live-for-my-sons-princess-dianas-heartwarming-quotes-about-parenting) Laura Rizzo Chagani 4 hours ago [View post: Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https://parade.com/news/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads)![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxODY5MTQw/premiere-of-netflixs-people-we-meet-on-vacation-arrivals.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) News [Best-Selling Author’s Hit Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books of the Decade’ on Goodreads](https://parade.com/news/best-selling-authors-hit-novel-ranked-among-best-books-of-the-decade-on-goodreads) Nina Derwin 4 hours ago For many people, [movies](https://parade.com/1222580/samuelmurrian/best-movies-all-time/) are an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and [inspirational](https://parade.com/973277/jessicasager/inspirational-quotes/). Here are 20 of the [best movies](https://parade.com/1222580/samuelmurrian/best-movies-all-time/) about pandemics, viruses and outbreaks. 🎬 [SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox](https://parade.com/newsletters/daily?utm_source=article&utm_medium=top). 🎬 ## Best Pandemic and Virus Movies !['Outbreak' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjQw/pandemic-movies-outbreak.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Outbreak Warner Bros. ### 1\. Outbreak (1995) One of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is [Outbreak](https://youtu.be/Y5povsMKfT4), a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States. - Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, [Morgan Freeman](https://parade.com/celebrities/morgan-freeman-net-worth) !['Contagion' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjUz/pandemic-movies-contagion.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Contagion Warner Bros. ### 2\. Contagion (2011) Made in 2011, [Contagion](https://youtu.be/I5VfNKCQF60) is an exceptionally smart (and [scary](https://parade.com/living/scary-games)) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too. - Starring: Marion Cotillard, [Matt Damon](https://parade.com/1241483/jessicasager/matt-damon-net-worth/), Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet !['World War Z' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Njkw/pandemic-movies-world-war-z.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) World War Z Skydance Productions ### 3\. World War Z (2013) Part pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie, [World War Z](https://youtu.be/Md6Dvxdr0AQ) is a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters. - Starring: [Brad Pitt](https://parade.com/celebrities/brad-pitt-net-worth) ![28 Days Later movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzI3/pandemic-movies-28-days-later.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) 28 Days Later DNA Films ### 4\. 28 Days Later (2002) Set in the city of London (and much like World War Z), [28 Days Later](https://youtu.be/7suz9ndPBHg) is a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed: 28 Weeks Later (2007), 28 Years Later (2025) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), with at least another one the way. - Starring: [Cillian Murphy](https://parade.com/celebrities/cillian-murphy-wife-yvonne-mcguinness), Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston Related: [We Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’](https://parade.com/1038367/samuelmurrian/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/) ![Andromeda Strain movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzMy/pandemic-movies-andromeda-strain.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Andromeda Strain Universal Pictures ### 5\. The Andromeda Strain (1971) Based on the 1969 novel by Michael Crichton, [The Andromeda Strain](https://youtu.be/YMbSpnlOOtE) follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town. - Starring: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne ![Quarantine movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzQw/pandemic-movies-quarantine.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Quarantine Screen Gems ### 6\. Quarantine (2008) Fans of The Blair Witch Project will love [Quarantine](https://youtu.be/iYCwlnZ0HVI). Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control. - Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short ### 7\. I Am Legend (2007) Set several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), I Am Legend follows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors. - Starring: [Will Smith](https://parade.com/1283407/jessicasager/will-smith-net-worth/) !['The Last Man on Earth' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzU2/pandemic-movies-last-man-on-earth.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Last Man on Earth Associated Producers ### 8\. The Last Man on Earth (1964) Made in 1964 and starring the one and only Vincent Price, [The Last Man on Earth](https://youtu.be/4i7mcozmMZ4) follows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of Richard Matheson‘s I Am Legend. - Starring: Vincent Price !['12 Monkeys' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzc2/pandemic-movies-12-monkeys.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) 12 Monkeys Atlas Entertainment ### 9\. 12 Monkeys (1995) Part pandemic story, part time-travel feature, [12 Monkeys](https://youtu.be/15s4Y9ffW_o) follows the journey of James Cole ([Bruce Willis](https://parade.com/1360942/rose-maura-lorre/bruce-willis-net-worth/)) from 2030 back to the [1990s](https://parade.com/1075273/jessicasager/90s-trivia/), where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population. - Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt ![Death in Venice movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzg4/pandemic-movies-death-in-venice.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Death in Venice Alfa Cinematografica ### 10\. Death in Venice (1971) In [Death in Venice](https://youtu.be/-pxn49yWVJk), composer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera. - Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns Related: [21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies](https://parade.com/632586/samuelmurrian/15-inspiring-uplifting-movies-you-can-watch-right-now-on-netflix-for-a-hopeful-new-year/) ![Black Death movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODA3/pandemic-movies-black-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Black Death Egoli Tossell Film/HanWay Films/Ecosse Films/Zephyr Films ### 11\. Black Death (2010) Set in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague, [Black Death](https://youtu.be/uTxywr3ww64) follows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric (Sean Bean) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead. - Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten Related: [We Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’](https://parade.com/711346/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-all-10-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-movies-including-fantastic-beasts-2/) ![Masque of the Red Death scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODE0/pandemic-movies-mask-of-the-red-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Masque of the Red Death Alta Vista Productions ### 12\. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Also starring Vincent Price, [The Masque of the Red Death](https://youtu.be/uTxywr3ww64) is a horrific adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name. - Starring: Vincent Price ![Flu movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTE4/pandemic-movies-flu.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Flu iLoveCinema ### 13\. Flu (2013) Set in South Korea, [Flu](https://youtu.be/eY5VLSNVt-c) highlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul. - Starring: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Min-ah Park ![Cassandra Crossing scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTI5/pandemic-movies-cassandra-crossing.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Cassandra Crossing ITC Entertainment ### 14\. The Cassandra Crossing (1976) One of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless, [The Cassandra Crossing](https://youtu.be/FrYKtN_BmnM) is a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really. - Starring: Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Martin Sheen ### 15\. Infection (2019) In Infection, a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies. - Starring: Rubén Guevara, Leonidas Urbina, Magdiel González ![the Happening movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTM3/pandemic-movies-the-happening.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Happening 20th century fox ### 16\. The Happening (2008) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring [Mark Wahlberg](https://parade.com/celebrities/mark-wahlberg-net-worth) and Zooey Deschanel, [The Happening](https://youtu.be/1I9ZQVK8gV8) is an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide. - Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel Related: [25 Best Action Movies](https://parade.com/905888/samuelmurrian/netflix-best-action-movies/) ![Blindness movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTQ4/pandemic-movies-blindness.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Blindness Alliance Films ### 17\. Blindness (2008) Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star in [Blindness](https://youtu.be/XvTvP55cxM0), the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness. - Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo !['Bird Box' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTUz/pandemic-movies-bird-box.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Bird Box Universal Pictures ### 18\. Bird Box (2018) A [Netflix](https://parade.com/1015716/samuelmurrian/best-movies-on-netflix/) original feature, [Bird Box](https://youtu.be/RHhoWXQUsEc) follows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide. - Starring: [Sandra Bullock](https://parade.com/1305453/jessicasager/sandra-bullock-net-worth/), Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich !['Carriers' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTU5/pandemic-movies-carriers.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Carriers Paramount Vantage ### 19\. Carriers (2009) When a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in [Carriers](https://youtu.be/WxUyBZIRu60), four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease. - Starring: Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci ![Zombieland scene](https://parade.com/.image/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0/best-virus-movies-zombieland-512022.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560) Columbia Pictures ### 20\. Zombieland (2009) While [Zombieland](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) isn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses. - Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, [Emma Stone](https://parade.com/celebrities/emma-stone-net-worth), [Woody Harrelson](https://parade.com/celebrities/woody-harrelson-net-worth) [View post: The Best New Movies to Stream or See in Theaters This December](https://parade.com/movies/best-new-movies-to-watch-december-2025)![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxMjYzNjkw/song-sung-blue-1.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&ar=1-1) Movies [The Best New Movies to Stream or See in Theaters This December](https://parade.com/movies/best-new-movies-to-watch-december-2025) From holiday romcoms to Oscar hopefuls, here are 20 new movies arriving in December 2025 on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more. Patti Greco ## About the author ![](https://parade.com/.image/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1) ## [Kimberly Zapata](https://parade.com/author/kimberlyzapata) Start the Conversation Trending Stories 01 News [1991 Thriller Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’ Made Oscar History](https://parade.com/news/1991-thriller-ranked-among-best-movies-all-time-made-oscar-history) Andrea Reiher 4 hours ago 02 News [1987 Classic Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’](https://parade.com/news/1987-classic-hit-film-ranked-among-best-movies-of-all-time) Nina Derwin 5 hours ago 03 News [1957 Hit Film Was Just Ranked 'the Greatest American Movie' of All Time](https://parade.com/news/1957-hit-film-was-just-ranked-the-greatest-american-movie-of-all-time) Nicole Moore 6 hours ago 04 News [1943 Hit Classic Film Ranked Among 'Best Movies of All Time'](https://parade.com/news/1943-hit-classic-film-ranked-among-best-movies-of-all-time) Jane LaCroix 12 hours ago [![](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNTQxODgz/parade-footer.svg?io=1&profile=w256)](https://parade.com/) * - 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Readable Markdown	For many people, [movies](https://parade.com/1222580/samuelmurrian/best-movies-all-time/) are an outlet. A treasured respite. A much-needed escape. But sometimes life is stranger than fiction. And sometimes life parallels fiction, as we learned several years ago—the COVID-19 outbreak mirrored some of our favorite pandemic movies. And while most of the films below are doomsday pieces—you know, end-of-the-world, last-man-on-Earth sort of stories—watching these flicks can still be entertaining and [inspirational](https://parade.com/973277/jessicasager/inspirational-quotes/). Here are 20 of the [best movies](https://parade.com/1222580/samuelmurrian/best-movies-all-time/) about pandemics, viruses and outbreaks. 🎬 [SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox](https://parade.com/newsletters/daily?utm_source=article&utm_medium=top). 🎬 !['Outbreak' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjQw/pandemic-movies-outbreak.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Outbreak Warner Bros. ### 1\. Outbreak (1995) One of the best-known pandemic movies and arguably the most popular is [Outbreak](https://youtu.be/Y5povsMKfT4), a mid-90s action thriller about a deadly, Ebola-like virus that is spreading through parts of California and the United States. - Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, [Morgan Freeman](https://parade.com/celebrities/morgan-freeman-net-worth) !['Contagion' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NjUz/pandemic-movies-contagion.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Contagion Warner Bros. ### 2\. Contagion (2011) Made in 2011, [Contagion](https://youtu.be/I5VfNKCQF60) is an exceptionally smart (and [scary](https://parade.com/living/scary-games)) disaster movie. Why? Because it’s something of a sociological study into what people would do (and how they would behave) if they were faced with a real-life pandemic. Trust us, this one hits close to home. And it has a star-studded cast too. - Starring: Marion Cotillard, [Matt Damon](https://parade.com/1241483/jessicasager/matt-damon-net-worth/), Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet !['World War Z' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Njkw/pandemic-movies-world-war-z.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) World War Z Skydance Productions ### 3\. World War Z (2013) Part pandemic, part zombie apocalypse movie, [World War Z](https://youtu.be/Md6Dvxdr0AQ) is a more imaginative take on what could happen if a virus spreads through society…and turns us all into monsters. - Starring: [Brad Pitt](https://parade.com/celebrities/brad-pitt-net-worth) ![28 Days Later movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzI3/pandemic-movies-28-days-later.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) 28 Days Later DNA Films ### 4\. 28 Days Later (2002) Set in the city of London (and much like World War Z), [28 Days Later](https://youtu.be/7suz9ndPBHg) is a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic zombie movie. In fact, the entire film transpires about one month after the “rage” virus spread throughout the UK. Three sequels followed: 28 Weeks Later (2007), 28 Years Later (2025) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), with at least another one the way. - Starring: [Cillian Murphy](https://parade.com/celebrities/cillian-murphy-wife-yvonne-mcguinness), Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston Related: [We Ranked the 152 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’](https://parade.com/1038367/samuelmurrian/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/) ![Andromeda Strain movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzMy/pandemic-movies-andromeda-strain.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Andromeda Strain Universal Pictures ### 5\. The Andromeda Strain (1971) Based on the 1969 novel by Michael Crichton, [The Andromeda Strain](https://youtu.be/YMbSpnlOOtE) follows a group of scientists who are working to figure out what unknown virus killed all the citizens of a small town. - Starring: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne ![Quarantine movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzQw/pandemic-movies-quarantine.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Quarantine Screen Gems ### 6\. Quarantine (2008) Fans of The Blair Witch Project will love [Quarantine](https://youtu.be/iYCwlnZ0HVI). Why? Because this action-adventure film is a “found footage” movie—it follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who get trapped in a building that’s being quarantined by the Center for Disease Control. - Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short ### 7\. I Am Legend (2007) Set several years after a mutated pathogen kills most of humanity (and turns the rest into monsters), I Am Legend follows U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville on his quest to find a cure—and fellow survivors. - Starring: [Will Smith](https://parade.com/1283407/jessicasager/will-smith-net-worth/) !['The Last Man on Earth' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1NzU2/pandemic-movies-last-man-on-earth.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Last Man on Earth Associated Producers ### 8\. The Last Man on Earth (1964) Made in 1964 and starring the one and only Vincent Price, [The Last Man on Earth](https://youtu.be/4i7mcozmMZ4) follows Dr. Robert Morgan’s journey to battle the living dead after an unnamed disease kills half of humanity and turns the remaining half into zombie-like creatures. This was the original adaptation of Richard Matheson‘s I Am Legend. - Starring: Vincent Price !['12 Monkeys' movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzc2/pandemic-movies-12-monkeys.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) 12 Monkeys Atlas Entertainment ### 9\. 12 Monkeys (1995) Part pandemic story, part time-travel feature, [12 Monkeys](https://youtu.be/15s4Y9ffW_o) follows the journey of James Cole ([Bruce Willis](https://parade.com/1360942/rose-maura-lorre/bruce-willis-net-worth/)) from 2030 back to the [1990s](https://parade.com/1075273/jessicasager/90s-trivia/), where he is supposed to gather information about a man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population. - Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt ![Death in Venice movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1Nzg4/pandemic-movies-death-in-venice.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Death in Venice Alfa Cinematografica ### 10\. Death in Venice (1971) In [Death in Venice](https://youtu.be/-pxn49yWVJk), composer Gustave Aschenbach travels to a Venice resort to escape personal and artistic stress. The last thing he expects is to encounter trouble, but his life is threatened when there is a sudden outbreak of cholera. - Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns Related: [21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies](https://parade.com/632586/samuelmurrian/15-inspiring-uplifting-movies-you-can-watch-right-now-on-netflix-for-a-hopeful-new-year/) ![Black Death movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODA3/pandemic-movies-black-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Black Death Egoli Tossell Film/HanWay Films/Ecosse Films/Zephyr Films ### 11\. Black Death (2010) Set in 14th-century England during the time of the bubonic plague, [Black Death](https://youtu.be/uTxywr3ww64) follows a young monk recruited by the knight Ulric (Sean Bean) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead. - Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten Related: [We Ranked All 11 Harry Potter Movies, From ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’](https://parade.com/711346/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-all-10-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-movies-including-fantastic-beasts-2/) ![Masque of the Red Death scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI1ODE0/pandemic-movies-mask-of-the-red-death.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Masque of the Red Death Alta Vista Productions ### 12\. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Also starring Vincent Price, [The Masque of the Red Death](https://youtu.be/uTxywr3ww64) is a horrific adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name. - Starring: Vincent Price ![Flu movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTE4/pandemic-movies-flu.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Flu iLoveCinema ### 13\. Flu (2013) Set in South Korea, [Flu](https://youtu.be/eY5VLSNVt-c) highlights the panic and chaos that ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects individuals in a city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul. - Starring: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Min-ah Park ![Cassandra Crossing scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTI5/pandemic-movies-cassandra-crossing.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Cassandra Crossing ITC Entertainment ### 14\. The Cassandra Crossing (1976) One of the more poorly received films on our list, but a pandemic movie nonetheless, [The Cassandra Crossing](https://youtu.be/FrYKtN_BmnM) is a movie about love, terrorism and an unnamed virus. Yes, really. - Starring: Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Martin Sheen ### 15\. Infection (2019) In Infection, a man races against time to save his son when a new rabies virus turns people into rampaging zombies. - Starring: Rubén Guevara, Leonidas Urbina, Magdiel González ![the Happening movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTM3/pandemic-movies-the-happening.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) The Happening 20th century fox ### 16\. The Happening (2008) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring [Mark Wahlberg](https://parade.com/celebrities/mark-wahlberg-net-worth) and Zooey Deschanel, [The Happening](https://youtu.be/1I9ZQVK8gV8) is an apocalyptic drama about the rapid spread of an unknown virus that causes individuals to commit suicide. - Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel Related: [25 Best Action Movies](https://parade.com/905888/samuelmurrian/netflix-best-action-movies/) ![Blindness movie scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTQ4/pandemic-movies-blindness.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Blindness Alliance Films ### 17\. Blindness (2008) Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star in [Blindness](https://youtu.be/XvTvP55cxM0), the story of the world being upended by an epidemic that causes blindness. - Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo !['Bird Box' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTUz/pandemic-movies-bird-box.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Bird Box Universal Pictures ### 18\. Bird Box (2018) A [Netflix](https://parade.com/1015716/samuelmurrian/best-movies-on-netflix/) original feature, [Bird Box](https://youtu.be/RHhoWXQUsEc) follows the journey of a mother and her two children after a widespread, mysterious pathogen drives most of society to suicide. - Starring: [Sandra Bullock](https://parade.com/1305453/jessicasager/sandra-bullock-net-worth/), Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich !['Carriers' scene](https://parade.com/.image/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAwNzI2MTU5/pandemic-movies-carriers.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560&x=0&y=0) Carriers Paramount Vantage ### 19\. Carriers (2009) When a virus threatens to wipe out humanity in [Carriers](https://youtu.be/WxUyBZIRu60), four friends set out across the desert, trying to elude the pandemic. However, as the minutes, hours and days unfold, the friends learn that the darkness within themselves may be deadlier than any external threat or disease. - Starring: Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci ![Zombieland scene](https://parade.com/.image/MjEyNDI1MzQ1MzAxNzUxNDI0/best-virus-movies-zombieland-512022.jpg?io=1&profile=w2560) Columbia Pictures ### 20\. Zombieland (2009) While [Zombieland](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) isn’t your traditional post-apocalyptic pandemic feature, with the “mad zombie disease” spreading across the United States, it is a (funny) film about viruses. - Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, [Emma Stone](https://parade.com/celebrities/emma-stone-net-worth), [Woody Harrelson](https://parade.com/celebrities/woody-harrelson-net-worth) ## About the author ![](https://parade.com/.image/MTkwNTgwODMxNTkyMDY0ODky/aa4acea101ace3767e3cbd387ec90a4c-s-600-d-mm-r-g.jpg?io=1&profile=w256&ar=1-1)
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