History Film / Contagion2011

** The molecular biology of the virus: genome size, number of genes, even identifiable splice sites from different strains of the virus (bat vs. pig) pretty much match up with how viruses work in the Real World. Its inability to replicate in standard cell culture is also a feature of some RealWorld Viruses, such as Hepatitis-C.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:If Krumwiedehas supposedly been "cured" of the virus by taking Forsythia, why does he still walk around in a jury-rigged hazmat suit for most of the film? And why doesn't he give Forsythia to the female reporter from the beginning of the film? And what's with the "Prophet / Profit" signs?]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Alan Krumwiede, who fakes being sick in order to promote a drug that supposedly (but doesn't) cures the disease, and profits big time from it. He's arrested by Homeland Security, but is bailed out by his online followers and encourages more people to not vaccinate.]] It's unclear whether he'll meet justice or not after the film's events.

* NoFEMAResponse: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. The CDC and FEMA really get rolling when they realize how bad the disease has become, but their efforts are constantly constrained by both time, limited supplies, a panicking public, government distrust, and hospitals going on strike.

** The film's portrayal on how the pandemic got started: "The wrong bat met the wrong pig", is actually how epidemiologists theorized the original 1999 Malaysia outbreak got started (a infected bat dropped a piece of half-chewed fruit into a pig pen, the pig ate the bat-saliva-laced fruit and got infected, and passed the disease to humans who butchered the pig).

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After being [[spoiler:kidnapped by a Chinese epidemiologist, Dr. Orantes is rescued, then runs through an airport]] and is never seen again.

* WithholdingTheCure: While this doesn't happen, some believe that it does -- it is one of the destructive rumors that fly around on the internet, and it feeds the paranoia of certain characters. This is used by Alan, who then directs bloggers to get the drug Forsythia.

** He does show some of the "low level" effects of the pandemic: sealed state borders, National Guard curfews, looting and burning of businesses, runs on basic supplies, garbage piling up, people robbed and killed for their supplies, etc. The utilities stay on, though, which is what ultimately keeps this from becoming ApocalypseHow.

** He does show some of the "low level" effects of the pandemic: sealed state borders, National Guard curfews, looting and burning of businesses, runs on basic supplies, garbage piling up, etc. The utilities stay on, though, which is what ultimately keeps this from becoming ApocalypseHow.

* AbandonedHospital: Not just because of MEV-1, but because nurses were on strike during the outbreak.

* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Dr. Mears]] is set up as a potential hero early on in the film. Then [[spoiler:she]] gets sick and disappears for a chunk of time, only to be revisited as [[spoiler:she tries (in vain) to give a blanket to a fellow patient just before she dies]].

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: [[spoiler:Sussman goes against orders to destroy his research samples in order to successfully culture the virus in a lab...a vital first step to getting a vaccine. Hextall later injects herself with an untested but viable vaccine sample, since the proper procedure would have taken nearly twice as long to get results. It works, ultimately stopping the pandemic.]]

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: [[spoiler:Sussman goes against orders to destroy his research in order to successfully create it in a lab. Hextall injects herself with the untested but viable vaccine sample, since the proper procedure would have taken nearly twice as long to get results. It works.]]

** MEV-1 getting stored next to Smallpox and samples of other well-known lethal viruses. Such archives exist in BSL-5 facilities such as Fort Detrick, MD, but with a much heavier security level than the one shown.

* ThePlague

* AnyoneCanDie: Aside from [[spoiler:Mitch Emhoff]] (the only person in the film who shows an immunity to the virus), everyone else in the film is susceptible, and many people die, including [[spoiler:Beth Emhoff and her son, Dr. Mears, and tens of millions of other people across the planet. In particular, Dr. Mears' death is meant to show that nobody, not even the professionals trying to control it, are immune in a pandemic.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: Aside from [[spoiler:Mitch Emhoff]] (the only person in the film who shows an immunity to the virus), everyone else in the film is susceptible, and many people die, including [[spoiler:Beth Emhoff and her son, Dr. Mears, and millions of other people across the planet]].

* JustifiedCriminal: Despite living in a deserted neighbourhood (with only a handful of other residents left), Mitch never takes anything more than a rifle from his neighbour's house to protect [[spoiler:himself and Jordan]]. Any time he is given the chance to steal, he's either thwarted (the supermarket, which was already looted and breaking out into chaos) or he resists temptation (the looting at the FEMA food drop point).

* PatientZero: At the end, [[spoiler:the chain of events leading to Beth and the other known first cases getting infected is shown]].

** The molecular biology of the virus: genome size, number of genes, even identifable splice sites from different strains of the virus (bat vs. pig) pretty much match up with how viruses work in the Real World. Its inability to replicate in standard cell culture is also a feature of some RealWorld Viruses, such as Hepatitis-C.

** MEV-1 getting stored next to Smallpox and samples of other well-known lethal virses. Such archives exist in BSL-5 facilities such as Fort Detrick, MD, but with a much heavier security level than the one shown.

* YourCheatingHeart: Beth Emhoff, who cheated on her husband with a former lover who lived in Chicago, unwittingly spreading the virus to the Midwest.

** MEV-1 getting stored next to Smallpox and samples of other well-known samples that caused an outbreak. It does exist, if only on a heavier security level than the one shown.

* JustAStupidAccent: Where exactly is Jude Law's character supposed to be from?? He meanders from a sort of South London English accent to cod-Australian and back throughout the film.....which is appalling if he's playing an English character, being as he ''is'' English....
** Apparently he's supposed to be Australian. He does say "crikey". Perhaps he's someone faking a persona.

** Apparently he's supposed to be Australian. He does say "crikey".

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Krumwiede]] for using his blog to convince others [[spoiler:to buy a drug that doesn't work]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: If [[spoiler:Krumwiede]] has supposedly been "cured" of the virus by taking Forsythia, why does [[spoiler:he]] still walk around in a jury-rigged hazmat suit for most of the film? And why doesn't [[spoiler:he]] give Forsythia to [[spoiler:the female reporter from the beginning of the film]]? And what's with the "Prophet / Profit" signs?

* AllOfThem: Two doctors are doing an autopsy on Patient Zero -- the moment they take a look at what's left of her brain, Doctor 1 tells his colleague to back away from the table.
-->'''Doctor 2:''' (backing away) "You want me to call somebody."
-->'''Doctor 1:''' "I want you to call everybody."

* ShoutOut: When talking with government officials in Minnesota, one of them notes that a [[{{Jaws}} plastic shark would cause more panic than a sidenote about a virus]]... then go on to screw things up by complaining that causing a panic ''now'' would disrupt shopping sales.

* KneeHighSocks: Dr. Hextall (who discovers the vaccine for the virus) vaccinates herself by injecting in the thigh area.