Netflix Users Have Become Obsessed With Disaster Movies and TV Shows

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused people around the country to stay home and away from others, Netflix users are streaming content about killer viruses and natural disasters. Rather than trying to watch something that makes you forget about the world outside, people are flocking to movies and TV shows that depict an even more devastating situation than the one we're already in. Whether everyone is trying to find some kind of solace in these disaster flicks, or they just have a dark sense of humor, the apocalyptic titles on Netflix are getting an unexpected boost, many of them landing in the streamer's Top 10 list this week.

Right now, if you focus on the overall Top 10 on Netflix, which includes both movies and TV shows, you'll see that Outbreak is still holding steady as one of the most popular titles on the service. The 1995 film has been in the Top 10 for the better part of two weeks now, 25 years after it was initially released in theaters.

Outbreak is the only disaster title you'll find in the overall Top 10, but when you head to the separate Movie and TV Show lists, you'll find quite a few more. Outbreak is the third most popular movie on the entire service, while Roland Emmerich's end of the world disaster flick 2012 comes in at fifth. At tenth on the list is Freaks, which depicts a world where society has crumbled.

Over on the TV Show list, it's the docu-series Pandemic coming in at sixth place. The series is probably the most informative title online in regards to these sorts of diseases, as it follows the people on the front lines in the battle against influenza. Also making the list is Dirty Money, which is more of a social disaster series than a natural one, but it still applies to what we're dealing with now.

Netflix isn't the only place seeing a spike in disaster-related interest. Stephen Soderbergh's Contagion has become one of the top purchased movies on on-demand platforms in recent weeks.