How to watch Contagion: stream the movie online anywhere

Surely there's nothing more natural than wanting to watch a movie about a pandemic during a pandemic? As the coronavirus sees the world lock itself down in full, and people self-isolate at home for fear of contracting or spreading Covid-19, here's how the truly thick-skinned can watch Contagion online – all your streaming options for the film are explained below, so you can uncomfortably blur the lines between fact and fiction from anywhere in the world.

The 2011 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who's also behind other A-grade movies like Traffic and Erin Brockovich.

It features a star-studded cast including perennial red carpet hoggers Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet. 

We'd broadly class it as a thriller, one which juggles several cleverly interwoven plot lines to see a pandemic and its effects through the eyes of medical professionals, politicians and members of the public. Real-world inspirations for the film include the 2003 SARS epidemic and 2009 Swine Flu outbreak.

Contagion was lauded by critics for its character portrayals, and also by health experts for its scientific accuracy - screenwriter Scott Z. Burns having consulted with members of the World Health Organization as part of the production process. It also fared well at the box office, grossing $135 million commercially after premiering at the Venice Film Festival. 

Got ice in your veins? Read on to learn about all the online Contagion streaming options you need to watch the movie wherever you are during these unprecedented times.

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Is Contagion on Netflix right now?

Unfortunately, Contagion is not currently available to stream on Netflix in many countries, but there are plenty of great Netflix movies you can watch while self-isolating – including Outbreak, a 1995 medical disaster film that should provide equally uncomfortable viewing right now. 

A couple of exceptions are Netflix Canada and now Netflix UK, which do feature the movie in their line-up and let you watch Contagion online or on your TV if you subscribe to the service. For Canadian or UK Netflix subscribers still abroad, you need not fear, as downloading a VPN allows you to use the service just like you back home.

We'll explain how all that works in more detail below.

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How to watch Contagion from outside your country

Hopefully, most people are safely at home and following their government guidance on social interaction during these difficult times. However, if you do find yourself out of your country for whatever reason, you'll likely be desperate to access the streaming services you normally use at home. You may not be able to, though, because of geo-blocking restrictions.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch Contagion no matter where you are. This simple bit of software changes your IP address so that you can keep streaming movies and TV shows from all over the world.

While there are hundreds of VPNs to choose from, we always recommend ExpressVPN. As well as being fast, simple, and straightforward to install, it's also compatible with a whole host of devices - Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS and Android to name some of the main ones.

Plus, ExpressVPN's flexible 30-day money back guarantee is difficult to argue with. Even better, you can purchase an annual plan for a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE – a brilliant offer for an essential bit of software.

Once installed, select the location of your home country and simply click connect. You’ll then be able to easily watch Contagion from pretty much anywhere in the world.

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How to watch Contagion: streaming options for the US

Your options for streaming Contagion in the US are limited as its rights are owned by premium cable network Cinemax. The good news is that Cinemax is available as an add-on for Hulu - and the most basic Hulu plans start from just $5.99 a month. There's even a FREE 1-month trial on offer, and if you like it, you can take advantage of combined Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle for just $12.99 a month, giving you all the content you need to see you through self-isolation.

Beyond that, you can rent or buy Contagion online from iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, where it costs $3.99 and $9.99, respectively. Alternatively, existing Cinemax subscribers can make use of the channel's companion streaming service, which is called Max Go.

Remember, as per our guide above, if you find yourself out of the country, you can use clever software like ExpressVPN to watch Contagion just as if you were at home.

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Watch Contagion online: UK streaming options

Contagion has finally turned up on UK Netflix, so if you already subscribe to the service then you can start watching the Hollywood horror unfold straight away on any Netflix compatible device.

Not yet a subscriber? The Basic tier costs £5.99 per month, Standard comes in at £8.99 a month, which cranks things up to HD, while the Premium tier costs £11.99 with the ability to stream on four screens at once and up to Ultra HD quality.

If you don't want to sign up to Netflix just to watch this film. It costs £3.49 to rent or £5.99 to buy in HD from Amazon Prime, while the likes of iTunes, Google Play, Chili and YouTube also offer it for sale.

If you're currently stuck in or out of the UK, remember you can access all the normal services you would at home by using a VPN.

How to watch Contagion in Australia right now

Unfortunately, Contagion isn't available on any of the big Australian streaming services right now. 

Instead, you can only watch Contagion in Australia by renting or buying it through an outlet like Google Play,  iTunes or Microsoft Store. It costs $4.99 for a limited time rental or $14.99 to digitally buy Contagion outright.

If, however, you already you'd rather be able to stream it on a service like Netflix, then you can watch Contagion by using a VPN.

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How to watch Contagion online in Canada for free

As previously mentioned, Canadians wanting to stream Contagion are in luck, as it's available on the country's version of Netflix. This means subscribers don't have to pay a penny for it - just search for the movie on your TV or device of choice and watch away.

Non-Netflix customers can also watch Contagion online via Amazon Prime Video, where you can stream it for free as part of a STARZ trial.

Already pay for Netflix or a similar service and find yourself stranded abroad? Watch Contagion as you normally would by using a VPN.

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