On an Unseen Killer in Contagion

A horror film where the killer is completely unseen, but without the exploitative violence of the Final Destination series (2000 - 2011), is what Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion succeeds in being. Obvious comparisons will be made with Outbreak (1995), yet Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns have achieved a far more terrifying and realistic portrayal of a worldwide disease outbreak. Even more terrifying with the recent bird flu and SARS scares. The film has drawn together a very impressive task, yet the star of the film remains the unseen killer, which is a shame as the characters and acting are great, but have little space to stretch their legs and become people we really invest and care in. Instead, we leave Contagion scared of touching our own faces, which is still, quite an achievement.