The moment I heard about the possible spread of the coronavirus to the United States - scenes from the movie “Outbreak” flashed through my mind. “Outbreak” - released in 1995 with a star-studded cast - including Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Donald Sutherland and Rene Russo - depicted the spread of an Ebola-like disease in the African nation of Zaire. The virus spreads to the United States via a monkey that was being shipped to a pet store in America.
Since Ebola was prominently in the news at the time of the movie’s release - the plot seemed hauntingly realistic. Would watching a movie about a pandemic be entertaining of just too scary to watch?
Psychologists often get us to bring out what is already inside of us - so think about how you would react to watching a movie, like “Outbreak,” as you navigate your life through the coronavirus crisis.
Watching a movie, like “Outbreak,” might cause you to feel unsettled by the visuals of the disease spreading knowing that COVID-19 is continuing to spread. For some - it might just be too close to real-life. However, the manifestation of the virus on the human body in “Outbreak” is so physically outrageous with graphic sores and infected people bleeding from their eyes - that it might bring some comfort to realize that the virus in the movie - Motaba - appears much more visually violent than COVID-19.
“Outbreak” was recently the most-streamed movie on Netflix. Would you want to watch a movie about a fictional pandemic? Here are a few other suggestions:
“Contagion” - released in 2011- deals with a global pandemic but focuses more on the way government handles the crisis and the political implications.
“28 Days Later” - released in 2002 - is about a virus spreading across the UK and turning people into bloodthirsty zombie-like creatures. The movie is also credited with rekindling interest in zombies.
“Black Death” - released in 2010 - follows the spread of the horrendous Bubonic plague - which in the 1300s killed closet 200 million people. Relative to the world population in the 1300s - 200 million dead would be even more dramatic than that number would be today.
“Carriers”- released in 2009 - follows a group of friends in search of a plague-free zone and a deadly virus spreads. The group meets up with a man and his daughter - who spread the disease to the group.
“Flu” - a South Korean movie released in 2013 - focuses on a violent virus spreading that kills those infected within 36 hours. The victims vomit blackened blood. The movie also deals with distrust in the political establishment.
If you think watching a movie about a fictional pandemic that sensationalizes a deadly virus might entertain you and maybe even help put the current coronavirus crisis into perspective - then you might want to watch one of the aforementioned movies. And there are other similar movies, as well.
But only you know yourself - and if the thought of watching a fictional movie that parallels the real-life crisis we are living through is disturbing - then do not watch!
As a talk show host - I deal with the reality and the severity of the coronavirus crisis every day and sometimes most of the day and night as I follow the constant flow of information and changing scenarios - the visions I have of scenes from “Outbreak,” “Contagion” and “28 Days Later” give me reassurance that as bad as this current crisis is - we will beat this and even if life in America is not exactly like it used to be - it will be better than what is depicted in some of the pandemic movies from Hollywood.