6 Best Quarantine and Plague Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 7, 2026

Disease and the isolation of quarantine make for existential thrillers. Contagion tracks scientists racing a virus, Outbreak has military doctors containing an airborne one, and 28 Days Later and World War Z turn it into rage and zombie panic. The Andromeda Strain and The Seventh Seal round out the six.

World War Z (2013)

IMDb ★ 7.0 RT 67% Metacritic 63

A former UN investigator races the globe to find the origin of a fast-spreading zombie pandemic.

Directed by Marc Forster · 1h 56m · Rated PG-13

3 wins & 25 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Contagion (2011)

IMDb ★ 6.8 RT 85% Metacritic 70

A fast-spreading virus is tracked from patient zero through a global scramble for a vaccine.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 1h 46m · Rated PG-13

2 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

28 Days Later (2002)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 87% Metacritic 73

A man wakes from a coma to find Britain emptied out by a rage-fuelled virus.

Directed by Danny Boyle · 1h 53m · Rated R

10 wins & 32 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Outbreak (1995)

IMDb ★ 6.6 RT 59% Metacritic 64

An Army virologist races to contain a lethal airborne virus before it spreads beyond one small town.

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen · 2h 09m · Rated R

5 wins & 5 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Scientists race to contain a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism before it spreads.

Directed by Robert Wise · 2h 11m · Rated G

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Seventh Seal (1957)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 93% Metacritic 88

A disillusioned knight returning from the Crusades challenges Death himself to a game of chess.

Directed by Ingmar Bergman · 1h 36m · Rated NR

9 wins & 2 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Quarantine and Plague Movies

World War Z (2013)

Contagion (2011)

28 Days Later (2002)

Outbreak (1995)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

The Seventh Seal (1957)

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