It's not been a great time for a lot of businesses as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, with a growing proportion of the world's population currently self-isolating at home. However, people have been watching a LOT of telly - and one movie that has seen a particular increase in views is the 2011 pandemic flick Contagion.
Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Jude Law, the film looks at worldwide panic after the outbreak of a deadly virus... sound familiar?
Well, people are so intrigued by it that in the last three months, it's gone from the distributor's 270th most popular title at the end of December, to its second most watched.
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As reported by The New York Times, it jumped straight to near the top of the chart, second only to the incredibly popular Harry Potter franchise.
It's also trending on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes, so it looks like people are even prepared to spend their hard-earned money on a film that's been out for almost a decade.
And with a lot of people now finding themselves with a fair bit of spare time on their hands, it's no wonder that curiosity's leading people to see how a pandemic worked out in the world of film.
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Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Contagion focuses on a virus called MEV-1. It originates in Asia and transmits through touch - symptoms start with a severe cough and go downhill rapidly. It goes on to kill 26 million people around the world, looking at the concept of social distancing, as well as the spread of misinformation in the digital age.
Yep, seems very familiar.
Speaking to Fortune, writer Scott Burns spoke about how eerily similar the film is to what we are currently experiencing. He said: "The similarities between our Contagion and the coronavirus are immaterial, accidental and really not that important.
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"What is more important and accurate is the societal response and the spread of fear and the knock-on effects of that. That is proving to be accurate."
If you're planning on watching the film, you might want to prepare yourself for some tough viewing, as this lot can vouch for:
It's worth remembering that Contagion is a work of fiction and is absolutely not a documentary about how Covid-19 will pan out, but stay safe out there - and wash your hands, LADs.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.Topics: TV and Film, coronavirus, Netflix
