Many similarities in this film made in 2006 with what really happened in the world starting in the Fall-Winter of 2019. That will be a good reason to watch it. Joely Richardson and Stacy Keach are another reason to watch the movie. It's well
made but has lengths that will be harder to digest.
30 Reviews
Avian Flu
starman-wa2 September 2015
This TV movie is well worth watching especially if you are a disaster movie fan. The movie shows events from several points of view (a nurse, soldier, politician, a family and a pandemic expert) and builds on most of the characters quite well.
The acting is acceptable as is how the story flows, the ending is clearly left that way to allow for a follow-up TV series which obviously did not go ahead, so does have a feeling of wanting it to continue to conclusion but the movie does progress far enough to make this a stand alone story.
Certainly thought provoking and one of the more believable and credible potential disasters that could occur.
The acting is acceptable as is how the story flows, the ending is clearly left that way to allow for a follow-up TV series which obviously did not go ahead, so does have a feeling of wanting it to continue to conclusion but the movie does progress far enough to make this a stand alone story.
Certainly thought provoking and one of the more believable and credible potential disasters that could occur.
Prophetic and Dark
srooks124 November 2021
There are similarities between this film and our current situation; however, the film is much more dark. The acting for the most part is stark and lacks emotion. This film is almost like like a hastily constructed documentary. This film will not leave you in a good place.
Terrifying and graphic, at least in the first half
vchimpanzee10 May 2006
In Guangdong province, China, numerous birds infected with the H5N1 virus are being killed, but it may be too late to stop the disease from spreading. At least one man is sick at a nearby factory being visited by Ed Connelly of Richmond, Virginia, who is criticizing the factory's policies that are costing the company money (as far as we know, this has nothing to do with the disease).
As Connelly returns to the United States, we see extreme close-ups of the ways the disease is being spread by him to others on the plane. Soon after he gets back to Richmond, life appears normal but he is infecting others around him. He has no idea how sick he is.
Dr. Iris Varnack (Joely Richardson) is called to China, where 8 people have been infected by the bird flu virus. Correction--25 people. And the doctor there believes these cases, unlike others before, were passed from human to human rather than from bird to human. Dr. Varnack soon must inform the government that a pandemic worse than the 1918 Spanish Flu is a strong possibility. 300 million people could die worldwide (compared to 50 million in the earlier disaster).
Connelly becomes delusional and passes out in a store, and once doctors figure out what is wrong, all who visit him, including his wife Denise (Ann Cusack), must wear what look like space suits. By the first commercial break, the death toll is 125.
Soon, Connelly's neighborhood looks like a military installation, with a fence, complete with barbed wire, and armed military guards. Everyone there and in several other Richmond neighborhoods must stay in, depending on outsiders to get them the food and supplies they need. And as the epidemic worsens nationwide, the necessities of life become harder and harder to get.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Stacy Keach) communicates with the press. We are told the President addressed the nation, but we never see him.
Hospitals are soon overwhelmed with people who suspect they have the disease. We see treatment of the bird flu primarily through the eyes of one heroic nurse, Alma Ansen (Justina Machado), whose husband Curtis (David Ramsey) is in the military in Iraq--until his unit gets called back to the United States. Hospitals become terrible places, and before long, large buildings must be turned into auxiliary health care facilities.
The Connelly family becomes isolated from the world, though they do not have the disease. Or do they?
Periodically, we see a death count on the screen. People are dying so fast, though, that the count looks like the total sale display on a gas pump while you are filling up. The death toll goes from hundreds to thousands to many millions.
Virginia Governor Mike Newsome (Seth Cohen) is criticized for overdoing the quarantines and focusing on certain groups (the NAACP and ACLU, we are told, do not like his policies). He is told his efforts are doing no good to stop the disease's spread, but that doesn't really matter.
Life as we know it ceases to exist. The country is like a Third World nation, with people waiting in lines for everything they need, and lucky to get what they have. Black markets develop and crime increases (Remember the Rodney King verdict? Fortunately, we see this type of situation primarily in news footage). And people need other types of services from hospitals and the health care system--but this is just not readily available. Other problems develop that you might not have thought of. This situation is much worse than when polio was a problem (I'm not that old, by the way, but I've heard about it)--that's more like what I was led to expect if the bird flu became a problem.
The situation is not as grim in the second half. Life appears 'normal' in many scenes, though it is a 'new' normal. Denise Connelly's determination and compassion make the movie worth seeing, and a little more than just a 'disease of the week' movie. Scenes with Alma and Curtis also provide some welcome relief, though they both have their jobs to go back to.
I have to wonder why people stopped wearing space suits. There was no vaccine to begin with, and of course we had the obligatory controversies once one was found (there has to actually be a specific form of the disease to develop a vaccine for). My guess is they ran out of space suits and hoped they didn't need them. Of course, we are told some people just don't get sick.
The ending shows promise of a return to normal, but also impending gloom. IT MAY NOT BE OVER.
It is true that every version of the flu must have its own vaccine, and we don't know whether a vaccine for the current H5N1 virus will work if human-to-human transmission occurs. That part the movie probably got right. And people do have a tendency to overreact to threats such as this--where I live even the hint of snow means no bread or milk on grocery store shelves, so people's behavior here probably seemed realistic. But this movie just showed a quite exaggerated and terrifying look at what could happen. We may have been educated on some of the concerns a bird flu epidemic could bring--both consequences directly related to the flu, and the indirect results as well. Still, this looked overdone to me.
The autopsy on one victim was quite graphic. And we did see blood in a number of cases, because people with this disease cough up blood or bleed from the nose, at least in this version.
Stacy Keach gave the standout acting performance. Other actors were good at times, considering this was a TV-movie. Seth Cohen, Ann Cusack, Justina Machado and David Ramsey all had their moments.
Was it just a 'disease-of-the-week' movie? Probably, but it had its good moments.
As Connelly returns to the United States, we see extreme close-ups of the ways the disease is being spread by him to others on the plane. Soon after he gets back to Richmond, life appears normal but he is infecting others around him. He has no idea how sick he is.
Dr. Iris Varnack (Joely Richardson) is called to China, where 8 people have been infected by the bird flu virus. Correction--25 people. And the doctor there believes these cases, unlike others before, were passed from human to human rather than from bird to human. Dr. Varnack soon must inform the government that a pandemic worse than the 1918 Spanish Flu is a strong possibility. 300 million people could die worldwide (compared to 50 million in the earlier disaster).
Connelly becomes delusional and passes out in a store, and once doctors figure out what is wrong, all who visit him, including his wife Denise (Ann Cusack), must wear what look like space suits. By the first commercial break, the death toll is 125.
Soon, Connelly's neighborhood looks like a military installation, with a fence, complete with barbed wire, and armed military guards. Everyone there and in several other Richmond neighborhoods must stay in, depending on outsiders to get them the food and supplies they need. And as the epidemic worsens nationwide, the necessities of life become harder and harder to get.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Stacy Keach) communicates with the press. We are told the President addressed the nation, but we never see him.
Hospitals are soon overwhelmed with people who suspect they have the disease. We see treatment of the bird flu primarily through the eyes of one heroic nurse, Alma Ansen (Justina Machado), whose husband Curtis (David Ramsey) is in the military in Iraq--until his unit gets called back to the United States. Hospitals become terrible places, and before long, large buildings must be turned into auxiliary health care facilities.
The Connelly family becomes isolated from the world, though they do not have the disease. Or do they?
Periodically, we see a death count on the screen. People are dying so fast, though, that the count looks like the total sale display on a gas pump while you are filling up. The death toll goes from hundreds to thousands to many millions.
Virginia Governor Mike Newsome (Seth Cohen) is criticized for overdoing the quarantines and focusing on certain groups (the NAACP and ACLU, we are told, do not like his policies). He is told his efforts are doing no good to stop the disease's spread, but that doesn't really matter.
Life as we know it ceases to exist. The country is like a Third World nation, with people waiting in lines for everything they need, and lucky to get what they have. Black markets develop and crime increases (Remember the Rodney King verdict? Fortunately, we see this type of situation primarily in news footage). And people need other types of services from hospitals and the health care system--but this is just not readily available. Other problems develop that you might not have thought of. This situation is much worse than when polio was a problem (I'm not that old, by the way, but I've heard about it)--that's more like what I was led to expect if the bird flu became a problem.
The situation is not as grim in the second half. Life appears 'normal' in many scenes, though it is a 'new' normal. Denise Connelly's determination and compassion make the movie worth seeing, and a little more than just a 'disease of the week' movie. Scenes with Alma and Curtis also provide some welcome relief, though they both have their jobs to go back to.
I have to wonder why people stopped wearing space suits. There was no vaccine to begin with, and of course we had the obligatory controversies once one was found (there has to actually be a specific form of the disease to develop a vaccine for). My guess is they ran out of space suits and hoped they didn't need them. Of course, we are told some people just don't get sick.
The ending shows promise of a return to normal, but also impending gloom. IT MAY NOT BE OVER.
It is true that every version of the flu must have its own vaccine, and we don't know whether a vaccine for the current H5N1 virus will work if human-to-human transmission occurs. That part the movie probably got right. And people do have a tendency to overreact to threats such as this--where I live even the hint of snow means no bread or milk on grocery store shelves, so people's behavior here probably seemed realistic. But this movie just showed a quite exaggerated and terrifying look at what could happen. We may have been educated on some of the concerns a bird flu epidemic could bring--both consequences directly related to the flu, and the indirect results as well. Still, this looked overdone to me.
The autopsy on one victim was quite graphic. And we did see blood in a number of cases, because people with this disease cough up blood or bleed from the nose, at least in this version.
Stacy Keach gave the standout acting performance. Other actors were good at times, considering this was a TV-movie. Seth Cohen, Ann Cusack, Justina Machado and David Ramsey all had their moments.
Was it just a 'disease-of-the-week' movie? Probably, but it had its good moments.
What crap
gopallstar9 May 2006
What garbage, is there actually no part II? If this movie actually ends the way it did, everyone involved with this movie should be ashamed. This movie is nothing close to a movie like Outbreak, which was actually a fairly decent movie. This movie was rushed in hopes of being able to gain a few easy dollars. I started watching the movie under the assumption that it would be bad, but I never imagined it would be this bad. This movie was nothing more then a way to exploit the fears of the American people for profit! If you have not seen this movie, don't bother. Movie is full of poorly developed characters and poor acting. I really hope the production of this movie was only a couple of weeks. Stay away! Don't be fooled by the hype!
We are all going to die. Well eventually.
juliankennedy232 December 2006
Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America: 3 out of 10: This movie is both funny and sad. The funny part is fairly obvious as this certainly isn't a sober look at a possible impending crisis. This is a modern version of The Swarm. And much like those killer bees (and the so called killer bee crisis that prompted them) Bird Flu has joined a pantheon of media inspired end of the world scenarios (SARS, Y2K, Global Warming) that simply refuse to actually come about.
The sad part is the blatant attempt of the filmmakers to inspire panic. Disease pandemics historically were fairly common after all people didn't all die in their forties from heart disease. Even recent pandemics such as AIDS mirrors the old fashioned VD crisis (Think syphilis) that used to kill more soldiers than bullets.
The flu pandemic of the early twenties was a nasty business killing millions but honestly life went on. I wonder if our over dramatic media and their power hungry government allies would allow life as normal today.
The movie itself swerves wildly from fairly competent scenes (Triage in grand Central Station) to the ridiculous (Rednecks try to ambush national guardsman in Manhattan).
The scenarios themselves are fairly useless as the filmmakers can't seem to decide exactly how contagious the bird flu is or for that matter whether the symptoms are an Ebola style crash or simply a long illness. Indeed one scene will show everyone in bio-hazard suits and the next will have nobody even wearing a mask.
The film also patently refuses to actually give any practical advice regarding what to do in a Bird Flu crisis. (Outside of wash your hands, what no duct tape?) The acting and directing are competent for a TV movie but the script is all over the map. Last the movie has a strangely non-exponential death total running on the bottom of the screen. Just like the Swarm did.
The sad part is the blatant attempt of the filmmakers to inspire panic. Disease pandemics historically were fairly common after all people didn't all die in their forties from heart disease. Even recent pandemics such as AIDS mirrors the old fashioned VD crisis (Think syphilis) that used to kill more soldiers than bullets.
The flu pandemic of the early twenties was a nasty business killing millions but honestly life went on. I wonder if our over dramatic media and their power hungry government allies would allow life as normal today.
The movie itself swerves wildly from fairly competent scenes (Triage in grand Central Station) to the ridiculous (Rednecks try to ambush national guardsman in Manhattan).
The scenarios themselves are fairly useless as the filmmakers can't seem to decide exactly how contagious the bird flu is or for that matter whether the symptoms are an Ebola style crash or simply a long illness. Indeed one scene will show everyone in bio-hazard suits and the next will have nobody even wearing a mask.
The film also patently refuses to actually give any practical advice regarding what to do in a Bird Flu crisis. (Outside of wash your hands, what no duct tape?) The acting and directing are competent for a TV movie but the script is all over the map. Last the movie has a strangely non-exponential death total running on the bottom of the screen. Just like the Swarm did.
Bad casting
arkansaswooddesign20 December 2021
Fair TV move--eerily prophetic for its day
Bowserb4627 November 2021
Look through the reviews. Those from 2006-2018 are in the 3-5 range. Those from 2021 (like this one) see it differently. We've all seen the cheesy post-apocolypse or post nuclear war movies or killer bee movies. What they all have in common is that there is no reality to compare them to--so they could be accurate predictions or just pure bunk.
I'm sure those who saw this in 2006+ thought "Pure bunk. That would never happen!" I just watched it in spite of its 4.7 IMDB rating, as I was curious. Wow! OK, the movie is pure made-for-TV B-movie fare, but what were the writers thinking? Worst case scenario? Or did they have gifted insight? The almost unbelievable accuracy of the predictions is enough reason to watch this.
I'm sure those who saw this in 2006+ thought "Pure bunk. That would never happen!" I just watched it in spite of its 4.7 IMDB rating, as I was curious. Wow! OK, the movie is pure made-for-TV B-movie fare, but what were the writers thinking? Worst case scenario? Or did they have gifted insight? The almost unbelievable accuracy of the predictions is enough reason to watch this.
Don't bother!
ken47910 May 2006
I watched this movie on TV last night, hoping for a realistic account of what could happen if there were an outbreak of some highly transmittable disease. I was disappointed, and I think the movie was garbage. It did not seem real to me. Some of the acting was awful, in particular that of the doctor. She was about the worst I've seen. The whole thing played like a CNN 'worst case scenario'. Even the obligatory disaster movie human relations bits didn't seem sincere. I have seen some disaster movies, in particular those weather ones, which are actually so bad they are amusing. This one is almost as bad, but it is not even amusing, it is tedious and boring.Don't bother with this one.
Surprisingly accurate, ending was a bit disappointing
mmalkasian2 December 2006
As a professional business continuity planner, one who has worked extensively in the pandemic flu planning field, let me tell you now that this movie is not about an impossible doomsday scenario. The H5N1 virus is a very real threat and every government on every level has been preparing for it for years. What was pleasantly surprising about this movie (which, frankly, I did not expect very much from) was its accuracy - both in portraying facts and possible situations. They did a very good job of giving background on the pandemics of the past - 1918, 57, and 68. They also showed the infections coming in waves, just as they have in past pandemics and in all probability will when the next one hits.
Watching this movie was like watching the scenario that plays in the head of every pandemic flu planner when they write response protocols and imagine how quickly this could move and how devastating it could be. I know I've seen this movie many times in my own head already. The fact is that it is a matter of "when", not "if". Historically, we have had pandemics on average once every 30 years (which means we are currently overdue for one). It is enormously unlikely that after an established record like that, we would never have one again. It may not be the H5N1, but it's very likely a pandemic flu will happen again.
The acting was good, especially Joely Richardson's performance. The characters were well-developed and watching the communities after the first wave hit brought tears to my eyes a few times. The bravery and resiliency of the American people is truly amazing. Scott Cohen also did a very real, believable job as Governor Newsome.
This movie is definitely scary, but what's more scary is being unprepared. Health departments in most large cities are developing or running education campaigns for the public to create awareness for common-sense precautions, as they say in the movie, so hopefully people will start paying attention to the ads that tell them to cover their coughs, wash their hands, and stay home when they're sick.
On a final note, despite being quite impressed with the quality of this movie, the ending was a little disappointing. I was hoping for something a bit more resolutory, but I suppose it would have been difficult to end the movie on a very cheery note.
Definitely worth your time to see!
Watching this movie was like watching the scenario that plays in the head of every pandemic flu planner when they write response protocols and imagine how quickly this could move and how devastating it could be. I know I've seen this movie many times in my own head already. The fact is that it is a matter of "when", not "if". Historically, we have had pandemics on average once every 30 years (which means we are currently overdue for one). It is enormously unlikely that after an established record like that, we would never have one again. It may not be the H5N1, but it's very likely a pandemic flu will happen again.
The acting was good, especially Joely Richardson's performance. The characters were well-developed and watching the communities after the first wave hit brought tears to my eyes a few times. The bravery and resiliency of the American people is truly amazing. Scott Cohen also did a very real, believable job as Governor Newsome.
This movie is definitely scary, but what's more scary is being unprepared. Health departments in most large cities are developing or running education campaigns for the public to create awareness for common-sense precautions, as they say in the movie, so hopefully people will start paying attention to the ads that tell them to cover their coughs, wash their hands, and stay home when they're sick.
On a final note, despite being quite impressed with the quality of this movie, the ending was a little disappointing. I was hoping for something a bit more resolutory, but I suppose it would have been difficult to end the movie on a very cheery note.
Definitely worth your time to see!
Bird flu thriller fails to pack a punch
Leofwine_draca28 January 2013
Once again the disaster-movie format is given the TV movie treatment, this time in the form of a thriller about a deadly virus spreading across the world. Think OUTBREAK, except done on a low budget and without much skill.
The problem with Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America is the usual problem that television movies face: there's not one jot of originality to be found anywhere in the production. The whole look and feel of the movie is predictable, with tired actors saying their tired lines half-heartedly and with the minimum of effort. Disaster films should be all about the panic, but this one's frankly dull.
As usual, there's a certain frank appeal in seeing which actors are slumming it in which production, and this one features a couple. Stacy Keach manages to come away unscathed as he's in a relatively minor supporting role, but what happened to Joely Richardson? She must have been desperate to sign up for this.
Genre fans expecting the worst may find this mildly entertaining at times - there's a certain verve, inherited from E.R., to the medical scenes - but you'll need to be in a forgiving mood to really enjoy it.
The problem with Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America is the usual problem that television movies face: there's not one jot of originality to be found anywhere in the production. The whole look and feel of the movie is predictable, with tired actors saying their tired lines half-heartedly and with the minimum of effort. Disaster films should be all about the panic, but this one's frankly dull.
As usual, there's a certain frank appeal in seeing which actors are slumming it in which production, and this one features a couple. Stacy Keach manages to come away unscathed as he's in a relatively minor supporting role, but what happened to Joely Richardson? She must have been desperate to sign up for this.
Genre fans expecting the worst may find this mildly entertaining at times - there's a certain verve, inherited from E.R., to the medical scenes - but you'll need to be in a forgiving mood to really enjoy it.
Now after covid...
marinazza31 January 2021
I came here after watching this movie in 2021, I wanted to read the reviews on a 2006 movie that seemed unreal ... the last review before me was April 2019, covid was completly unknown by then. I've been watching the developing of the movie as I watched the developing of covid around the world... did you noticed that no one had masks and the virus spreaded as fire?? I'm grateful that around the world masks happened. At the beginning they said " the longer the virus is around the less lethal it becomes, the more time we can buy the more lives we can save" In the movie by the 6th week there was over 2M deaths they estimated over 150M deaths or more. They deal with many shortages and issues we haven't. Somehow we are doing better. This movie looks soooo much better now that we have lived covid... this script was so right, was such a premonition. Many people here says there was a lot of bad acting, totally disagree... they acted as real as the people is acting now they were even better, no stupid conspiracy theories... they couldn't have been more accurate... we never thought this would happened to us...
The disaster movie has become a fine art in Hollywood
Nazi_Fighter_David5 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Films like "The Day After" and "The Towering Inferno," bring to life people's fears of death and destruction... As ABC News Correspondent Brian Rooney explains, the latest incarnation of disaster flick envisions a world where bird flu has reached the shores of America
Twenty million dead Bodies in the streets Mass graves Looting Hoarding... Panic across America The killer avian virus hits this country and what happens here is beyond imagination That's according to tonight's ABC made-for-TV-movie, "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America", a purely fictional story of what might happen if bird flu arrived on these shores
The film depicts what could happen as the virus spreads and people react to the catastrophe
Twenty million dead Bodies in the streets Mass graves Looting Hoarding... Panic across America The killer avian virus hits this country and what happens here is beyond imagination That's according to tonight's ABC made-for-TV-movie, "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America", a purely fictional story of what might happen if bird flu arrived on these shores
The film depicts what could happen as the virus spreads and people react to the catastrophe
Why on DVD?
ocelot_375 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The C class cast and poorly transitioned scenes, complete with terrible acting have led me too believe this would make a good TV only release such as the FX presentation of a smallpox outbreak. At my local blockbuster however, about 9 copies are held on the shelves, none of which were checked out when I rented the title (I wonder why....) Anyway, this title was almost ridiculous in the "fear factor" the director was going for. The whole "death count" on the bottom of the screen completely contradicted the plot at times, such as when the chopper was going over Angola, and the toll was speeding at a breakneck pace from 23 million to 24. However, as the movie ends, (possibly several hours or even a day or so after the chopper has landed) the death toll counter is reset back too what it was at the moment the chopper was approaching the area. The movies end left a huge whole in th entire plot, and god knows nobody is waiting for the sequel. Anyway, do not rent this, I only advise watching this if you have obtained the title with no monetary loss, and you are in the mood for a cheesy suspense movie.
It's Already Out There!
wandernn1-81-6832744 March 2024
WoW. Not only does Amazon Prime raise prices but now they offer such a gem as this one on their list of 'Just Added'. I feel so privileged to be spending my money on Steaming Piles of Hallmark such as this one.
Now, made in 2006 this is a good testament of what has gone on with VIRUSES STAMPED 'MADE IN CHINA'. I mean a 2006 movie that shows exactly what happens when China releases a virus into the world.
It is a cruddy Hallmark quality movie however, and those kind of movies are never good. Just simple movies for simple people and very old people.
There are far better movies about viruses and plagues.
This one only gets a 3/10.
Now, made in 2006 this is a good testament of what has gone on with VIRUSES STAMPED 'MADE IN CHINA'. I mean a 2006 movie that shows exactly what happens when China releases a virus into the world.
It is a cruddy Hallmark quality movie however, and those kind of movies are never good. Just simple movies for simple people and very old people.
There are far better movies about viruses and plagues.
This one only gets a 3/10.
Still waiting for the climax
wheatcjjj18 November 2021
Horrifying Portent Of Things To Come...
AndyVanScoyoc10 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Great movie until the end.
Then it suddenly just...ends.
Such a let down, really as, I know movies can't go on forever but find the attending doctor's notebook, laptop explaining how the virus is never going to end... something!
Don't just stop and that be all.
But...even with the horrible and lazy ending it is beyond freaky how prophetic this movie was.
I'm not sure sometimes if these filmmakers don't have inside info or something because except for the vomiting blood, this was COVID!
It's also horrifying to see just how fast society collapses when there's a tragedy.
The fact that people rely THIS heavily on the government to "take care" of them, is disturbing beyond comprehension!
The neighborhood should have banded together sooner to clean up and check on each other.
Oh and as a prepper of sorts myself...hope this wakes people up as to the necessity to stock up on things.
Yeah, this was just a movie, but...toilet paper anyone?
Just sayin'!
Then it suddenly just...ends.
Such a let down, really as, I know movies can't go on forever but find the attending doctor's notebook, laptop explaining how the virus is never going to end... something!
Don't just stop and that be all.
But...even with the horrible and lazy ending it is beyond freaky how prophetic this movie was.
I'm not sure sometimes if these filmmakers don't have inside info or something because except for the vomiting blood, this was COVID!
It's also horrifying to see just how fast society collapses when there's a tragedy.
The fact that people rely THIS heavily on the government to "take care" of them, is disturbing beyond comprehension!
The neighborhood should have banded together sooner to clean up and check on each other.
Oh and as a prepper of sorts myself...hope this wakes people up as to the necessity to stock up on things.
Yeah, this was just a movie, but...toilet paper anyone?
Just sayin'!
Prophetic
curtshop15 November 2021
This should gave been a training film for how a pandemic starts and how quickly society breaks down. Supplies of critical medical equipment, food, and other goods are quickly disrupted. Services like water and power could be disrupted also. The acting isn't Oscar worthy but it's good enough to get the message across.
2006 to 2022
dougscuderi11 January 2022
Well, I saw this on Prime in 2022 and decided to give it a view. I found it pretty similar to our pandemic, yet funny to read the prior reviews to 2020 as nobody has seen something like we have, post 2019. The cast isn't well known, but I did like the Blonde from nip tuck so I gave it a try.
In all honesty the rating should be a little higher, this idea may have been a little far fetched but it hit home since, in a lot of ways. I probably wouldn't have watched it though if it was made after 2020. As nobody cares to be reminded of the pandemic constantly, while still in it. This being 2006 is different. It also would have been worse if Facebook and social media were stronger when they filmed this. They weren't too far off.
In all honesty the rating should be a little higher, this idea may have been a little far fetched but it hit home since, in a lot of ways. I probably wouldn't have watched it though if it was made after 2020. As nobody cares to be reminded of the pandemic constantly, while still in it. This being 2006 is different. It also would have been worse if Facebook and social media were stronger when they filmed this. They weren't too far off.
Well, heck. I liked it.
litefantastic17 May 2006
Made-for-TV movies hold a dear place in my heart, for some reason I totally fail to grasp. There's just something I love about the inherent "B" quality that always seems to crop up in them. Not everybody sees it this way.
I gather from reading the other comments here that many of you tuned in hoping to see a movie. This is a common misconception about TV movies. You aren't really watching a movie, you're watching a two hour long episode in a TV series you will never see the rest of.
Actually, the last TV movie I saw about a pandemic disease was the multi-part adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand," which came out embarrassingly well done. There was none of that here, but what, really, were you expecting? I have no idea how accurate the disease information in this movie is; I don't really care. The fact is that I've seen a fair amount of TV movies by ABC and CBS (none from NBC, though I hear there's one out this week) and I'd have to say that ABC makes a consistently better movie than CBS does.
CBS likes to make disaster movies. I saw BOTH "Category 6" and "Category 7" on CBS, and I'm glad to say that "Fatal Contact," though cheesy, is "Citizen Kane" compared to either of these. The characters here are fairly believable, the special effects were not overplayed (TV movies always have terrible special effects, and even their regular effects aren't that hot), and I even liked the ending. I felt it was satisfactory.
All told, TV movies are never that good. The case for most of them is that if they turned up in theaters, you would walk out and demand your money back. But with direct-to-TV productions everything's a little bit more freewheeling. Relax, and immerse yourselves in the the heavy-handed plots and shallow budgets of network feature films...
I gather from reading the other comments here that many of you tuned in hoping to see a movie. This is a common misconception about TV movies. You aren't really watching a movie, you're watching a two hour long episode in a TV series you will never see the rest of.
Actually, the last TV movie I saw about a pandemic disease was the multi-part adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand," which came out embarrassingly well done. There was none of that here, but what, really, were you expecting? I have no idea how accurate the disease information in this movie is; I don't really care. The fact is that I've seen a fair amount of TV movies by ABC and CBS (none from NBC, though I hear there's one out this week) and I'd have to say that ABC makes a consistently better movie than CBS does.
CBS likes to make disaster movies. I saw BOTH "Category 6" and "Category 7" on CBS, and I'm glad to say that "Fatal Contact," though cheesy, is "Citizen Kane" compared to either of these. The characters here are fairly believable, the special effects were not overplayed (TV movies always have terrible special effects, and even their regular effects aren't that hot), and I even liked the ending. I felt it was satisfactory.
All told, TV movies are never that good. The case for most of them is that if they turned up in theaters, you would walk out and demand your money back. But with direct-to-TV productions everything's a little bit more freewheeling. Relax, and immerse yourselves in the the heavy-handed plots and shallow budgets of network feature films...
Not sure about the ending, but apart from that, this is fine
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews19 May 2008
Going by votes and what seems to be the general consensus in the other reviews, I expected considerably worse from this. It's by all means watchable, if I wouldn't quite classify it a "must" to view. I don't know all the facts about what this was based on, though I do recall the fear and some of what the papers said about it all. I am not the person to ask about whether or not this was a realistic depiction. I could see those into the kind of film enjoying this. The plot is interesting and develops well pretty much throughout the entire thing. The acting varies, and there are certainly no award winning performances herein, but there really aren't any moments that are downright painful to sit through on account of it, either. Pacing is adequate if not more than that. Cinematography and editing, with few exceptions(one mainly being due to the excessive use of the same sound), was a pleasant surprise. Not too simple... you can tell that it's a recent movie... but not overly stylized or anything of the sort, either. Merely a reasonably firm grip on the tricks of the technical aspects of film-making, and fairly effective use of them. There are dramatic bits that work in this. Some of it is potentially disturbing. The various reactions to the occurrences are varied and come off genuine. This does seem to lack a satisfying conclusion, however... what happens is not necessarily, by definition, bad, I'm just not sure it was what was called for here. I recommend this to fans of disaster flicks. 6/10
WASH YOUR HANDS
nogodnomasters28 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
For those who couldn't get enough of "Contagion" we have an earlier made for TV movie with all the same thrills and excitement crammed into 83 minutes. People and communities are quickly quarantined. With imports being shut off, no one has any stockpiles of food. Like "Contagion" this story bounces around from scene to scene that never seeming interconnect except through the virus. The acting script, and soundtrack were TV grade which is why I though "Contagion" to be superior. There are scenes that made me go hmm. Such as people holding a paper mask on with one hand while touching an infected person with their other bare hand. Notice when the medical staff are given masks and gloves before they proceed to the infected area. They then get on a public escalator and everyone holds one to the hand rail with their bare hand...safety first.
There are two things which quickly come to mind. The positive one is that we don't have pandemics such as this and that is because our CDC is on top of things and issue warnings which prevent these disasters. Their efficiency is demonstrated by the fact we don't see these people. The second aspect is the stock piles which America avoids to save warehouse costs and our reliance on items produced abroad. This could one day prove bothersome. China is stock piling raw materials such as high grade iron ore as our demand depletes non-renewable resources. The virus is nature's way to keep the human population in check.
The ending fails to provide closure for the film.
PARENTAL GUIDE: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity.
There are two things which quickly come to mind. The positive one is that we don't have pandemics such as this and that is because our CDC is on top of things and issue warnings which prevent these disasters. Their efficiency is demonstrated by the fact we don't see these people. The second aspect is the stock piles which America avoids to save warehouse costs and our reliance on items produced abroad. This could one day prove bothersome. China is stock piling raw materials such as high grade iron ore as our demand depletes non-renewable resources. The virus is nature's way to keep the human population in check.
The ending fails to provide closure for the film.
PARENTAL GUIDE: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity.
I'm scared!
britthegreat989 May 2006
This movie was so dramatic and I hated it. It not only scared me, it made me want to get in a fetal position and cry. Making someone that is not truly a big deal into something everyone is going to die from caused the plot to be so unrealistic. It is good if you want to scare someone perhaps, lets kill all the birds and I guess we will all be fine? I am very scared now and may simply have to start a support group for the viewers of this movie. It was so well done that it scared almost everyone in my household, sometimes you felt it was so bazaar that it could never happened; I believe that it cannot. Therefore, I think this movie was extremely ridiculous and felt totally unnecessary making America worry about a threat that has a very little chance of occurring.
Watching in November of 2021
Reggiemh16 November 2021
Ummmm so what has Hollywood been trying to tell us?? This is actually crazy how accurate this movie is to real life!
It's almost like the politicians followed this movie love!
Pretty good movie for being made on 2006 and not with any heavy weight actresses and actors!
So basically it's spot on!
It's almost like the politicians followed this movie love!
Pretty good movie for being made on 2006 and not with any heavy weight actresses and actors!
So basically it's spot on!
Realistic. At least enough for a movie.
neilor-12 December 2018
I watched this movie mostly because I am interested if flu and other infectious diseases, I am not a professional but have read enough literature and have taken several courses to be able to determine if the film is made realistic. This one IS. Most of the facts about flu, the way the people get infected and the course of the disease are authentic. The acting and the plot are decent too - this is a B TV movie so we cant expect it to be eligible for Oscar.
I don't agree this film suggests underground fears. Almost all the opinions of epidemiologist I have read are that flu is one of the biggest threats and chances are it will be next pandemic.
As one of the characters said - the question is not "IF" but "WHEN". Unfortunately this in not a script-writer's creation but a direct citation of what many epidemiologists say.
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