Contagion: Steven Soderbergh turns the star-studded Hollywood disaster flick on its head

Warner Bros.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Contagion.

Details

Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, Elliott Gould, John Hawkes, Demetri Martin, and Jennifer Ehle. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns. 98 minutes. Rated PG-13.

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More About

• Steven Soderbergh
• Contagion (Movie)
• Anthony Trollope
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Movie Stars

As prolific a worker as any in contemporary Hollywood, Soderbergh claims to be on the verge of packing in his career, which gives his movie a pretty interesting subtextual twist: Work, in Contagion, is fraught with mortal peril. The first victims are business travelers, while Damon's stay-at-home dad is spared and even turned into one of the film's least ambiguous heroes. If Contagion truly is the first leg of Soderbergh's retirement victory lap, this harrowing film is a potent reminder of what we stand to lose.