Escapism catches coronavirus

One might expect people to seek a break from pandemic-themed material. But if you open Netflix to see what’s trending, you’ll find Outbreak, the 1995 film in which Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, and Morgan Freeman play doctors trying to contain an ebola-like virus. You’ll also learn that lots of folks are watching Pandemic, a Netflix-produced documentary series that questions how ready the world is to handle a pandemic, coincidentally released in January 2020.

And once you’ve finished those, Netflix also offers Containment, a one-season show in which a virus spreads through Atlanta. Or you could head over to Hulu to watch Contagion, the 2011 film starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.