17 Global Thrillers That Make You Wanna Stay #TEAMINDOORS
by Jesse Schedeen
Going outside is overrated. Best case scenario, it's way too hot and smells funny. Worst case? There's some new global pandemic or zombie outbreak to deal with. On the 5th anniversary of Steven Soderbergh's thriller "Contagion," let's look back at the movies that remind us it's best to say indoors.
'The Birds' (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock had a knack for mining fear and tension out of any situation. Case in point, he somehow managed to make ordinary, harmless flocks of birds seem like the gravest threat to humanity since the sabretooth tiger went extinct.
'The Andromeda Strain' (1971)
Long before he was weaving tales of lethal theme parks, writer Michael Crichton showed what might happen if our planet is exposed to an extraterrestrial virus. The movie adaptation followed suit, proving that there are worse things out there than Zika and SARS.
'Outbreak' (1995)
"Outbreak" was eerily timely when it hit theaters in 1995. Loosely based on Richard Preston's novel "The Hot Zone," the thriller explores our desperate response to a deadly epidemic of an Ebola-like virus in Zaire and the US. Even as the movie hit theaters, an actual Ebola outbreak was unfolding in Zaire.
'28 Days Later' (2002)
Zombies are scary, but at least we humans have an advantage when it comes to speed and mobility, right? Not so in this hellish vision of post-apocalyptic London. These zombies could sprint, meaning everyone else might as well give up and curl into a ball.
'Cabin Fever' (2002)
When has traveling to a remote cabin in the woods ever worked out well for any group of attractive movie youngsters? In his directorial debut, Eli Roth chronicled the outbreak of a devastating, flesh-eating virus that eventually wormed its way into the outside world. The worst part? Roth was inspired by an actual vacation in Iceland.
'Right at Your Door' (2006)
We don't really need movies to remind us of the threat posed by dirty bomb-wielding terrorists, but "Right at Your Door" was happy to do so anyway. This disturbing indie horror explored the aftermath of a dirty bomb attack in Los Angeles and the desperate battle for survival that followed.
'28 Weeks Later' (2007)
Somehow, the heroes of "28 Days Later" managed to find a happy ending despite the threat of fast-moving zombies. This sequel proved that any victory against such a terrifying enemy is bound to be short-lived.
'I Am Legend' (2007)
What's worse than being the last surviving human on the planet? Why, being the last surviving human who has to board up his house and spend every night cowering in terror from vampires, of course. Though the film did prove that there's some truth to the adage of "They're more scared of you than you are of them."
'REC' (2007)
Found footage horror is kind of played out at this point, but it was used to terrifying effect in this Spanish horror film. "REC" provided an all-too-real glimpse of a deadly viral outbreak in an apartment building, eventually spawning several sequels and an English-language remake.
'Pontypool' (2008)
It's bad enough we can't venture into the outside world without catching some nasty disease or another from a passing stranger. But what if we could get sick by speaking the wrong words? That's the premise of this unsettling horror movie, where a radio shock jock learned the true consequences of his naughty language.
'The Children' (2008)
The "Children of the Corn" movies tried to warn us that children aren't to be trusted. That message was reinforced in this 2008 film, wherein all youngsters became vulnerable to a virus that turned them into deranged killers. The nuclear family is seriously overrated.
'The Crazies' (2010)
"The Crazies" is one of those rare cases where a horror remake is actually better and scarier than the original. Both versions feature a small town being ravaged when their water supply is contaminated by a virus that turns its victims into cold, remorseless killers. Zombies would be preferable at that point.
'Contagion' (2011)
Steven Soderbergh brings a sense of intelligence and authenticity to any project he takes on. So when he crafts a thriller about the fight against a terrible viral pandemic, the gritty end result hits a little too close to home.
'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011)
Whether you consider this a prequel or a reboot, this "Apes" movie managed to revive an ailing franchise. Unfortunately, it did so by exploring the origin of the disaster that led to intelligent, talking simians taking over the world. Just one more reason to ban animal testing ASAP.
'The Bay' (2012)
We've seen enough shark movies to know that there's no good reason to ever venture onto the beach. But in case you need further evidence that the ocean is ground zero in Mother Nature's war on humanity, take this found footage horror film, wherein an entire town is ravaged by a deadly parasite.
'World War Z' (2013)
"28 Days Later" gave us the running zombie. What can you do to make the undead even more terrifying? How about showing them joining forces to create writhing masses of bodies that can climb walls and bring down helicopters? Civilization would have been destroyed if not for the heroic efforts of Brad Pitt.
'The Signal' (2014)
Even if we conquer every threat on terra firma, there will always be aliens to worry about. "The Signal" is a sobering reminder of that fact, as a group of college students find themselves abducted and experimented upon by a less than benevolent group of extraterrestrials.
