"Don't talk to anyone, don't touch anyone. Stay away from other people!" If the first trailer for Steven Soderbergh's Contagion is a little paranoid-inducing, maybe that's for the best. Once the birds start weaponizing avian flu for use on us humans, it's only a matter of time before the streets empty themselves of humanity. Jude Law's bubble boy suit isn't looking so silly now!
Fair warning: There are what seem to be spoilers in said trailer, which debuted today on Apple. Of course, it's called Contagion; you know some of the famous faces in the cast -- which include Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, and Gwyneth Paltrow -- aren't going to make it to the final credits without catching the mystery bug.
What appears to be spoilery in the trailer could have been left out and we'd still get the sense for the tension-filled global epidemic with personal and wide-reaching stakes. Especially with Fishburne bringing animal kind into the discussion. Perhaps a better title might be Contagion: Rise of the Planet of the Birds?
Watch the trailer in HD at Apple.
VERDICT: Hypochondria-inducing! Note to self: First get flu shot, then buy tickets.
Contagion will hit theaters September 9.