Apocalyptic movies show what we worry about most
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, movies about post-apocalyptic worlds — often brought about by deadly, fast-spreading viruses — drew millions of eyeballs. Now, with millions of people at home because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many are flocking to such narratives. The 2011 thriller “Contagion,” which depicts the spread of a lethal virus from China, has recently become one of the most popular movies on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and in the Warner Bros. library. The 1995 blockbuster “Outbreak,” about a killer virus in the U.S., consistently made Netflix’s top 10 most-watched list in March. Christopher Robichaud is a senior lecturer in ethics and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and director of pedagogical innovation at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. As part of his work, Robichaud looks at issues of moral and political philosophy in pop culture. He spoke to the Gazette about the lure of...