Datebook: Break Out The Virus Movies – WGLT News

The coronavirus pandemic has millions sheltering indoors and bonding with their streaming services.

Reality is pretty scary right now, so many of us are choosing to pursue escapism, be it Friends, Tiger King or a Marvel movie marathon. And then there are those among us who prefer to stare the beast straight in the eyes by viewing films that focus on viruses and plagues. If virtual exposure is what youre looking for, then Illinois State University psychology professor and WGLT Psych Geek Eric Wesselmann has some movie suggestions to satisfy your morbid curiosity. Just dont ask him to watch any of them.

Its the idea that this could really happen, Wesselmann explained. I get my thrills from scary films when they are just the right level of realistic, but theres still a way of divorcing yourself from the situation.'Outbreak,' for example, was just too real to me.

Theres this virus that kills indiscriminately and there seems to be very little one can do to protect ones self from it. And then you also have the added layer of the government coming in and being willing to bomb the town, no matter what the town has to say about it. Multiple layers triggered me in a way that was no longer fun.

While hes unnerved by Outbreak, Wesselmann is rather bullish on The Crazies because its a George Romero film. A long-time Romero-- and zombie --fan, Wesselmann said he appreciates how The Crazies draws from Night of the Living Dead. The Crazies is about a plague that causes people to go insane. Death soon follows, of course.

You can see elements that are connected to 'Night of the Living Dead,' and then later what he does in the remaining 'Dead' films. But 'The Crazies' is unique in a way thats very, very natural.

Another film,28 Days Later, made Wesslemanns must-view list for its contemporary allegory on the AIDS epidemic. So did The Stand miniseries that was based on the epic book by Steven King. After a virulent plague wipes out the majority of humans, the survivors band together in two opposing groups andface off in a final battle of good vs. evil.

Virus films are more than medical nightmares, said Wesselmann. They often examine the breakdown of society and how humans deal with that issue.

We have some core needs, psychologically. One is the need for freedom, to be able to control our own environment and our own destiny. We also have a need for safety and security. These needs can sometimes be conflicting.

These narratives put in stark relief how these can be opposed," said Wesselmann. "When there are extreme threats, it makes our desire for security more salient. So, perhaps were willing to forego some freedoms.

So, part of this breakdown of society is people trying to come up with a way of institutionally and personally balancing these needs. When you see, for example, in 'The Crazies,' the government coming in and locking down the town, you see the people rebelling.

The thing I found really fascinating is when the government comes in, you have the mayor of the town fighting back and saying you cant do this to us. And the military is like, 'We dont care.' Then they go into a church to take people out and put them into quarantine and the priest explains that the people requested sanctuary, you cant do this. And the military says, 'es, we can.'"

You have one form of institutional authority, all the things that we trust in, saying to the others that they have no power anymore. Thats scary.

The virus is a backdrop for the human story that emerges in these films. Whether its I Am Legend, The Omega Man or The Last Man on Earth, Wesselmann said virus films show us ethical dilemmas, plus an array of good and bad human behavior. The narratives allow us to safely project ourselves into a scary situation.

We can watch these narratives and say if we would or wouldnt do this or that. Theres a psychological safety in that. Its predictive control -- I think I would do this. Now, whether you would actually do that in the given situation is another story.

At least in the moment, one reason why we enjoy watching how these people behave is to run those simulations.

Another reason we watch is just good old-fashionedmorbid curiosity, said Wesselmann.

Curiosity is an interesting type of psychological experience. Its a desire to get new information. Theres some types of curiosity where we just like to learn new things. And then theres I must learn new information. And that one is a little more potent, its like I need to learn this to make sure I dont do that.

Wesselmann speculated that the future of virus films is assured. Although were now living through a frightening pandemic, its unlikely to put us off from viewing new virus movies. If fact, we may want more.

Well likely see more of them just because its timely. One could view it as a cultural exorcism. There are core elements of horror that cross narratives. Some things scare all of us, regardless of time and place.

But they resonate with us more if there are things that we can connect to our lived lives.

Hear more about virus films from Eric Wesselmann.

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Datebook: Break Out The Virus Movies - WGLT News