In our last list of horror movie recommendations, we found ways to escape the present horrors of the pandemic with the help of aliens, ghouls, and demons. This time around, we’re coming face-to-face with our off-screen fears as we soldier on towards endemic living.
With infection numbers reaching a new high in Singapore, and regulations flip-flopping along with it, the initial languishing sentiments are quickly dissipating into a state of collective fatigue. While we may not exactly be where our nation’s leaders had envisioned us being just yet, it’s probably common knowledge that we’ll be living with Covid-19 for a bit. So instead of fighting it, we’re taking cues from the big screen where heroes and heroines of old have battled a bunch of outbreaks through the years and come out victorious. We’re talking river monsters, zombie wars, viruses, and of course, the seven deadly sins that, more often than not, drive mankind into a frenzy. Here are the best movies about outbreaks to stream this October.
Ultimate Guide For Horror Fans:
#1: 20 Best Horror Movies To Stream For An Ultimate Screamfest
#2: Ghost Tour Review: Creepy Tales of World War II and Cemetery
#3: 8 Haunted Tourist Sites in the World
#4: 4 Haunted Hotels in Asia & Their Horror Stories
#5: 7 Haunting Ghosts & Demons in Asia
#6: 6 Creepy Urban Legends For Travellers
#7: Budget Travel Horror Stories
#8: 7 Most Beautiful Cemeteries In The World
#9: 8 Essential Do’s & Do Not’s To Avoid A Creepy Hotel Stay
#10: 8 Scariest Horror TV Series & Movies About Outbreaks To Stream in 2021
1. The Host
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: A really ugly sea monster that’s surprisingly agile — the product of dumping a ton of formaldehyde into the Han River.
Apart from brilliant direction and a tight cast, the storyline covers more than a Godzilla-esque sea creature running amok through the streets of Korea. No, beneath the terrors of human beings being snatched off of river banks, it reveals the intricacies of familial ties framed against the true monstrosities of society. If anything, this horror-comedy tells the cautionary tale of why you should not be throwing things into public water bodies (read: no one wants a swamp monster in Sungei Api Api).
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 59 Minutes
Watch The Host on Amazon Prime Video here.
2. Squid Game
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: Societal pressures for some, unfortunate circumstances for others, and pure greed for most.
This addition to the list is a slight stretch (unless you consider greed a disease), but this new entry to Netflix was too much of a horror gem to pass up. Think of this Mystery-Thriller series as a combination of Black Mirror-meets-hunger-games, whereby a bunch of 400 odd contestants turn up to play a series of games for the chance to bag billions of dollars to clear their debts and get their lives together. The only catch? If they lose, they die.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
Episode Duration: Approximately 1 Hour
Watch Squid Game on Netflix here.
3. Midnight Mass
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: Self-righteousness and blood-sucking religious fanatics.
Mike Flanagan is back again, with, in my opinion, the best horror series he has created to date. Midnight Mass doesn’t rely on jump scares (though it has some) or frightening stage make-up (it has that too) — rather, it’s its depiction of blind-religiosity that carries the horrifying tale. With twists and turns helmed solidly together by a strong cast, this limited Netflix series is one not to be missed!
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
Episode Duration: 1 Hour
Watch Midnight Mass on Netflix here.
4. 28 Days Later
Image credits: IMDB
What Plagues Them: A “rage” virus that essentially turns human beings into lean mean killing machines.
You’ve seen this scene before: Cillian Murphy walking through the deserted streets of London in his hospital garb, through Piccadilly Circus and across the iconic Westminster Bridge. Yet, what sets this zombie flick apart from the other movies about outbreaks all boils down to a simple yet smart caveat of 20 seconds.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
Watch 28 Days Later on Amazon Prime Video here.
5. Contagion
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: Meningoencephalitis Virus One (MEV-1).
This one feels eerily familiar even though it was released a decade ago. Contagion begins with Gwyneth Paltrow (aka the original carrier) as she exhibits the beginning symptoms of the virus that would soon plague the world, which she promptly attributes to jetlag — only to die two days later. Now, the all-star cast must rush to find a cure for the airborne disease before it completely wipes out the globe.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 46 Minutes
Watch Contagion on Amazon Prime Video here.
6. It Comes At Night
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: No one knows. No, seriously. However, you do witness the very real and destructive implications of fear.
If you’re here for a full-on zombie invasion, you won’t get it. In its place is a carefully timed, minimalistic, and claustrophobic film about being a survivor of whatever contagious disease it is that has rampaged the outside world. If you’re able to get your head around that, you’ll be rewarded with an impending sense of dread that never leaves thrown in with a handful of jump scares.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
Watch It Comes At Night on Amazon Prime Video here.
7. It Follows
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: The absolute worst kind of STD.
Imagine sleeping with your partner, only to have them tell you after the deed is done, that he has passed ‘it’ to you. Not the kind of pillow-talk anyone would want to hear. To makes things worse — ‘it’ happens to be a nightmarish entity that attaches itself from victim to victim via sexual intercourse. Ugh.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
Watch It Follows on Amazon Prime Video here.
8. Cargo
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
What Plagues Them: An unknown pandemic that has turned many into a ‘viral’ (aka zombie).
Cargo isn’t about finding a cure or a zombie-free state. There isn’t as much running around or flesh-eating as one might expect too — instead, you even get to see the slow transformation that the infected go through before becoming a ‘viral’. Martin Freeman has exactly 48 hours before he himself turns into one, and he needs to find a new family for his daughter Rosie so he can, well, zombify in peace.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 88%
Movie Duration: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Hunker Down Through The Pandemic With These Movies About Outbreaks
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes
We hope you’ve found a movie in this list of movies about outbreaks that you’ve yet to discover — and have a load of fun watching it alone or with loved ones. If you’ve any horror recommendations for movies about outbreaks, remember to leave them in the comments section below!
If you’re planning to subscribe to any of these streaming channels or rent a movie online, just remember to cart out using your YouTrip card and pay in USD to take advantage of our sweet Wholesale Exchange Rates!
Not on YouTrip yet? Use promo code <BLOG5> to sign up and receive a free S$5 in your account. For more great guides like this, join our Telegram Channel (@YouTripSG) and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter here or down below!
Related Articles
Disney Plus Singapore: To Subscribe Or To Not Subscribe?
Best Netflix Movies To Watch Right Now In Singapore
Disney Plus Singapore: Best Movies & TV Shows to Watch
Top Image Banner Credits: BFI
