Although this film might appear to be a slightly more sophisticated take on the deadly virus meme than, say, "Outbreak"—and featuring an A-list ensemble cast—it is actually something a bit more peculiar than that: it's a film in which the protagonist never actually appears. That protagonist is, of course, the virus itself.
Although every character's story revolves around the deadly outbreak— from the unfortunate Patient Zero (Gwyneth Paltrow) to the compassionate WHO doctor (Marion Cotillard) to the earnest CDC investigator (a disturbingly stiff Kate Winslet) to the muckraking blogger (Jude Law) who sees a conspiracy at work —the film tells the story of the virus: its insinuation into the world population, the havoc it wrecks on humanity, the race to find a vaccine, and the ultimate resolution. Steven Soderbergh creates an appropriate sense of chaotic detachment, mirroring what in all likelihood would actually happen in the event of such an outbreak, and he quite realistically depicts the almost bureaucratic way in which such a pandemic would be "managed," leaving us with a sense that a global viral outbreak would prove to be more than "just" a health crisis. What is most chilling about this film is its eerie verisimilitude and its uncanny portrayal of business-as-usual amidst the calamity of a global catastrophe.
Although every character's story revolves around the deadly outbreak— from the unfortunate Patient Zero (Gwyneth Paltrow) to the compassionate WHO doctor (Marion Cotillard) to the earnest CDC investigator (a disturbingly stiff Kate Winslet) to the muckraking blogger (Jude Law) who sees a conspiracy at work —the film tells the story of the virus: its insinuation into the world population, the havoc it wrecks on humanity, the race to find a vaccine, and the ultimate resolution. Steven Soderbergh creates an appropriate sense of chaotic detachment, mirroring what in all likelihood would actually happen in the event of such an outbreak, and he quite realistically depicts the almost bureaucratic way in which such a pandemic would be "managed," leaving us with a sense that a global viral outbreak would prove to be more than "just" a health crisis. What is most chilling about this film is its eerie verisimilitude and its uncanny portrayal of business-as-usual amidst the calamity of a global catastrophe.