10 Films That Actually Got Biology Right

How we wish this wasn't the case.

Upon its release, Contagion was lauded for chronicling the progression of a pandemic with striking realism, especially in its biology. The depicted methods of investigating the disease are all common practice, with sequence alignments and protein structural models being routinely used to understand a virus' evolution and ability to invade its host. Work in Level 4 category labs was captured quite well too, showing attempts to grow the virus safely so it can be studied.

Looking back, it's frankly scary how much Contagion got right before the fact. Explaining important factors in limiting the spread (like R0 and contact tracing) feels redundant now, along with the need for public measures such as masks and social distancing. It even got the relationship between scientists and the government spot-on, with officials able to fast-track approvals but failing to understand how long it takes to get conclusive results. It's no surprise that so many compared Contagion's storyline to our own.

Impressively, the film also predicted the prevalence and dangers of misinformation during a pandemic, which in our case was exacerbated by social media. Sadly, Contagion's impeccable attention to detail in all aspects was commendable before, but grimly accurate today.