Quarantine

Right now you can watch Quarantine in the UK on Netflix — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 1,390 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Dania Ramirez — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Quarantine is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. What makes Quarantine work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC after the outbreak of a mysterious virus which turns humans into bloodthirsty killers. Dania Ramirez and Jennifer Carpenter lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2008. What separates Quarantine from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Quarantine a chance. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Dania Ramirez's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.