Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

You could be forgiven for thinking, from the posters, that you’re in for yet another pandemic disaster movie, but this is no Outbreak. Steven Soderbergh’s film is instead a convincing scenario of what might realistically happen should the next H1N1 scare be highly and quickly lethal⎯and catching. The killer cast of A-listers represents how the human race as a whole would react. Some are quiet heroes, others greedy opportunists. The CDC and WHO spring into action, but are stymied by international red tape. Internet misinformation goes viral. It’s literate, smart, and chillingly plausible. Go wash your hands.