Coronavirus: Contagion film resurfaces in streaming chart amid China outbreak

Thriller plot bears an unsettling resemblance to current news headlines

Contagion, a 2011 thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, has resurfaced as a popular film to stream in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

The film, which imagines the spread of a deadly disease, recently entered iTunes’ Top Movie List, appearing alongside this year’s Oscar nominees Joker, Le Mans ’66, Parasite, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and Hustlers.

Contagion’s plot bears an unsettling resemblance to current headlines, with British Airways suspending all direct flights to and from mainland China as concerns grow over the coronavirus outbreak.

The move comes after the UK government warned against all but essential travel to the country, where 132 people have been killed by the rapidly spreading disease.

Contagion opens with a woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) who appears to catch a cold during a Hong Kong business trip. After she gets home, her symptoms worsen and she doesn't recover. As the story unravels, medical researchers and public health officials attempt to identify and contain the disease, while social order begins to fall apart during the epidemic.

The film also stars Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon and Jude Law.