ITV2 Is Showing Steven Soderbergh's Epidemic Film Contagion This Thursday Night

With the onslaught of anxiety-inducing news, we could all use a decent film for a bit of harmless escapism. With that in mind, ITV2 is going to show the film Contagion at 9pm this Thursday evening.

OK, so it might not quite be as happy as Frozen, or as uplifting as Up, or - well - just about any other film, really, but hey, at least it's exciting, right?

You have to admire ITV2's sense of irony, if nothing else.

So - if you've never seen the film before - what can you expect to discover?

Released in 2011 and directed by Steven Soderbergh, Contagion tells the tale of a world beset by a new and deadly virus called MEV-1.

The virus begins to sweep across the globe and cause havoc among the world's population, leading to the eventual breakdown of social order.

There's nothing to worry about, though. It's only a story. The truth - in this case - is hopefully nowhere near as terrifying as the fiction.

The film was actually inspired by the SARS outbreak of 2002 that lasted until 2004, and the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

The writer, Scott Z. Burns worked in close consultancy with the World Health Organisation during the creation process, as well as load of different health experts.

The plot of the film sees WHO epidemiologist Dr Leonora Orantes, portrayed by Marion Cotillard, trying to track down and isolate the source of the virus, while Matt Damon plays a normal bloke who's wife Beth (Gwyneth Paltrow) was one of the first patients to fall victim to the illness.

An all-star cast is bolstered by turns from Jude Law, playing a conspiracy theorist, Kate Winslet as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer, and The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne as a doctor fighting the sickness.

It was pretty popular at the time, but has come back to the public's attention since the Covid-19 outbreak. In fact, the scientific community has previously praised the accuracy and attention to detail shown in the film.

If you can stomach the content, you can catch Contagion at 9pm on ITV2 this Thursday 26 March.

Just remember, it's only a film. It's not all that bad, really, as long as we all follow the advice.

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim