As COVID-19 coronavirus cases spike and send countries into lockdowns and hysteria, plenty of people are staying home, binging shows and catching up on movies using Netflix. And in a not-entirely-unexpected twist, it seems that the outbreak has led many of them to watch disaster flicks and documentaries about diseases.
One such 1995 disaster flick named Outbreak deals with doctors trying to understand and stop a deadly disease spreading rapidly in a California town, and it’s reached third place on Netflix’s top 10 list. Hitting tenth on the list, meanwhile, is Freaks, a film that deals quite directly with the end of society. Those two hit pretty close to home right now, of course, and maybe that’s the point – it’s possible that some users are seeking out these types of films and shows for any bit of knowledge they can get. This is perhaps made most obvious by the informative docu-series Pandemic – which deals with the heroes on the frontlines fighting against influenza – ranking sixth in the TV section of Netflix.
Worldwide cases of COVID-19 have now exceeded 250,000 and have resulted in over 10,000 deaths. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic last week, and governments around the world are reacting by enforcing travel bans and social restrictions.
It’s only getting worse right now, but the end may yet be in sight as summer rolls around. Until then, the world is fighting against the spread of the virus, resulting in many theaters shutting down, places like Disneyland seeing extended closures, and most other major social gatherings receiving cancellations or delays.
Keep it tuned here for more about the coronavirus and how it’s affecting the entertainment industry and the rest of the world. And in the meantime, binge some Netflix and stay safe.