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CONTAGION (2011)Movie Reviews
Action science-fiction thriller using various viewpoints to look at what happens when an infectious disease threatens humanity. Cast:Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion CotillardDirector:Steven SoderberghRelease Date:September 9, 2011DVD Release:January 3, 2012From:Warner Bros.Rating:PG-13Length:1 hr 45 min
Contagion (2011) played to good reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...a smart, scary thriller that will affect people in different ways.... Soderbergh knows exactly how to dredge up the dread..." • And Forrest Wickman wrote for Slate, "...a damn effective thriller.... Damon is particularly affecting... elevates well-trodden territory into something that feels both truly scary and fiercely contemporary." More Reviews Below...
Tom Gliatto, People: MODERATE(cg) "Director Steven Soderbergh misfires... You get his usual narrative confidence but the calvalcade of A-list stars disrupts the documentary tone."(See all of Tom Gliatto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 162 words, 09/08/11
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD "For a good hour, a very good first hour, the film efficiently accumulates small, terrifying incidents and images... an intelligent Surgeon General's advisory of a film."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 935 words, 09/09/11
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "The calm is what's so startling... The attention to detail provides the sensation that this sort of outbreak really could happen right now."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 09/08/11
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Soderbergh focuses more on the Centers for Disease Control and its alarming numbers than the victims... the audience feels little emotional attachment..."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 175 words, 09/08/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "I've seen a lot of frightening stuff... But nothing matches the terror of watching a hand dip into a bowl of bar nuts at an airport bar, and thus spreading death..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 553 words, 09/09/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...most riveting in its early scenes... [later,] all this germ procedural offers is the sight of people behaving badly, willing to do their worst to get first dibs on a vaccine."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 09/16/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Soderbergh is usually masterful with ensemble casts, but the character arcs here fall flat, and only a few performances manage to inspire."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 327 words, 09/09/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a realistic, unsensational film... deserves praise for taking the scientific method seriously when so much hogwash is floated about regarding vaccines."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 09/09/11
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the movie's narrative engine runs cool rather than hot... admirable as a highly controlled, verging-on-Kubrickian exercise in directorial vision and style."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 798 words, 09/06/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a smart, spooky thriller... as ruthlessly effective as the malady at its cool, cool center.... Mr. Soderbergh invests the story with visceral urgency..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,131 words, 09/09/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...does a good job of showing how, thanks to the Internet, misinformation can spread as rapidly as any disease -- and, under the right circumstances, can be just as lethal."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 09/09/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a convincing but sometimes clinical-feeling film.... will trigger your reflexes but won't do much for your heart."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 09/09/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD "...compelling.... feels a little sterile, more like a cinematic exercise than something with blood pumping through it. It's certainly high-minded..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 09/09/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a realistic, unsensational film... deserves praise for taking the scientific method seriously when so much hogwash is floated about regarding vaccines."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 09/09/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...very much a Steven Soderbergh movie... as microscopically attuned to its moment as his 2009 experimental sketch of the economic crisis, 'The Girlfriend Experience.' "(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 944 words, 09/07/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the feel-bad movie of the year, and on more than one level.... A star-studded thriller, it's reminiscent of 1970s disaster movies, yet much more grounded in reality."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 711 words, 09/09/11
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "Soderbergh announced on NPR his intention to retire... Moviegoers will miss anyone who can scare the hell out of us and make us laugh at the same time."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 09/09/11
Josep Parera, La Opinion: GOOD(cg) "...todo se ve empañado por la dedicación obsesiva de sus principales responsables... nunca consigue agarrar al espectador y hacerlo cómplice de todo ello..."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 09/09/11
Andrew Dowler, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...less about the people involved and more about the work they do.... more fun than you might expect.... Soderbergh keeps it zipping along like a thriller..."(See all of Andrew Dowler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 09/08/11
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...a thinking man's horror movie... not all that disturbing, except perhaps on an intellectual level. That's partly due to Soderbergh's restraint."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 737 words, 09/09/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...directed with petrifying efficiency... swoops in on the sick and the panicky, the government officials and the crackpots, as he tracks the course of a deadly disease."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 09/09/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "When it comes, it will probably go down just like this.... This is an anti-social painter's movie. Millions are dying, but he doesn't care that much. So why should we?"(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 09/09/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...insidiously eats away at your nerves. A steady accumulation of naturalistic detail makes the advent of a doomsday virus feel not just credible but inevitable."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 09/09/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Soderbergh has always been a visual artist... the best moments of 'Contagion' are the ones where he manages to show us this invisible invader's path."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 528 words, 09/09/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Like 'The Poseidon Adventure' and 'The Towering Inferno,' the mere size of the all-star cast suggests a catastrophe too big for one or two actors to handle..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 174 words, 09/09/11
Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...epic in scope and bears more than a passing resemblance to Soderbergh's 2001 blockbuster 'Traffic'.... undeniably riveting..."(See all of Soren Andersen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 09/09/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "If this truly is the beginning of the end of Soderbergh's career, it tells you all on its own how big a loss that will be to the cinema."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 09/09/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...could have been a blood-curdling scream; instead it comes off as Soderbergh's star-powered science project."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 09/09/11
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "The fact that Soderbergh makes you care about so many characters who don't get a lot of screen time is a testament to his skill and that of his cast."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 09/09/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...very much a Steven Soderbergh movie... as microscopically attuned to its moment as his 2009 experimental sketch of the economic crisis, 'The Girlfriend Experience.' "(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 944 words, 09/07/11
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...among the most thrilling and terrifying movies of the year and a meticulous, gorgeous use of brand-new digital filmmaking technology."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 652 words, 09/08/11
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "If you enjoy the running, jumping Damon of 'Bourne,' his holed-up-in-a-house dad might not be for you. For patient viewers, prepare to let this film infect your nerves."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 161 words, 09/15/11
Keith Phipps, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a vision of a world that's simultaneously tightly knit, delicately balanced, and prone to breakdown, whether due to disease, bad ideas, or unenlightened self-interest."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 09/08/11
Alison Willmore, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "...exceptionally dry-eyed... interested more in how the structures we've built to keep order deal with the disaster than how people handle it emotionally."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,035 words, 09/08/11
Andrew Dowler, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...less about the people involved and more about the work they do.... more fun than you might expect.... Soderbergh keeps it zipping along like a thriller..."(See all of Andrew Dowler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 09/08/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "...compelling... emphasizes the medical and bureaucratic procedures... plays like a speculative documentary as well as a potential CDC recruitment film."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 676 words, 09/09/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It offers some small, warm hope against the harsh reality: that as smart as we may be, nature is smarter, and without conscience."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 10/24/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a smart, spooky thriller... as ruthlessly effective as the malady at its cool, cool center.... Mr. Soderbergh invests the story with visceral urgency..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,131 words, 09/09/11
David Denby, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "...brilliant... so sure-handed and intelligent that it has an invigorating, even an enlightening, quality, as if a blurred picture had suddenly come into focus."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,458 words, 09/12/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR: VERY GOOD "...complex without being confusing, and intelligent without being baffling.... Tension is muted and cumulative; like the virus it hunts, 'Contagion' creeps under the skin."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 09/08/11
Forrest Wickman, Slate: EXCELLENT "...a damn effective thriller.... Damon is particularly affecting... elevates well-trodden territory into something that feels both truly scary and fiercely contemporary."(See all of Forrest Wickman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 09/09/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "With crisp, stripped-down storytelling that matches its clinical and beautifully composed images... a chilly, fascinating thriller at odds with itself..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,107 words, 09/08/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...without fully rounded characters, it's hard to care who lives or dies in what amounts to an extended procedural on how disease prevention orgs might respond..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,040 words, 09/03/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "With simmering tension and some memorable acting performances by a stellar cast, Soderbergh's disease thriller is worth catching."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,227 words, 09/03/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "Timely, relevant, sporadically involving, and well acted... suffers from an uneven scenario, in which half of the multiple stories are simply not engaging..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 09/05/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a smart, spooky thriller... as ruthlessly effective as the malady at its cool, cool center.... Mr. Soderbergh invests the story with visceral urgency..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,131 words, 09/09/11
14.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Contagion (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Contagion (2011) (50 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Contagion (2011)'s reviews cover 95.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 32,287 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 646 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 2.3 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Contagion (2011)'s reviews on average broke 2.3 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Contagion (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Contagion (2011) (50 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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