H1N1, the little epidemic that could have been, comes to fruition as MEV 1, a new, more deadly virus, in Contagion (2011).

Everyone remembers the panic that surrounded the H1N1 virus a few years back. The virus jumped from pigs to humans and a lot of people started getting sick.

Imagine—instead of one person infecting just one or two other people, every sick person infecting three or four. That’s exactly what writer Scott Z. Burns imagined and director Steven Soderbergh brought to life in Contagion.

The new virus—MEV1—races through the population after it transfers to humans, putting extreme stress on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) nationally, and the World Health Organization internationally. Each of the six title actors offers a unique perspective, ranging from a lead scientist working on a vaccine, a blogger with a hatred for pharmaceutical companies and a husband whose wife and child become infected. However, the main character is not shown—MEV 1.

Throughout the movie the focus is not on the characters themselves, but rather how they, and organizations such as the CDC, react to the new virus.

Matt Damon does a fantastic job as a severely traumatized husband as he deals with his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) and son being some of the first cases of MEV 1.

Jude Law played the part of a conspiracy theory-spreading blogger and nailed it. He got across all the cynicism and anger his character possessed, making him one of the best characters of the movie.

Contagion starts with a cough, a sound the audience will hear over and over again. The first quarter of Contagion is gripping, with a lot going on with the numerous characters. Then it gets into the bureaucratic reaction to the virus, which really bogged it down for a while, before picking back up and finishing strong.

If you want to see one of the most accurate epidemic movies to date, then Contagion is well worth your time. Germaphobes beware, however; this movie may leave you a little scarred.  Contagion gets three and a half out of five stars.