World War Z

Gerry Lane used to work for the United Nations and was settling into a quieter life with his wife and daughter when a sudden, aggressive infection sweeps the globe and turns people into frenzied attackers. After a chaotic escape that tears apart cities and supply lines, Lane is asked to help trace the outbreak's behavior and look for vulnerabilities. He leaves his family in relative safety and travels through collapsing urban centers, military quarantine zones, and scientific facilities, gathering scattered clues while evading overwhelming hordes. The film follows his escalating search for practical answers and survival strategies as global institutions strain under the pandemic and the clock keeps ticking.

Released in 2013, the movie was directed by Marc Forster and adapts Max Brooks' novel. Screenwriters included Matthew Michael Carnahan, with later contributions from Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof, and the production was notable for extensive rewrites and reshoots during filming.

The film proved a major commercial success, drawing big international audiences and ranking among 2013's top global earners. Its box office performance helped studios see the continued appetite for large-scale, effects-driven thrillers centered on global crises.

World War Z left a mark on zombie media with its depiction of fast, coordinated swarms and a few high-tension set pieces that were widely referenced and parodied. Those scenes, along with the film's scale, shifted expectations for blockbuster contagion scenarios and fed conversations in pop culture about how societies react under sudden, widespread threat.

Critical reaction was mixed, with many reviewers praising Brad Pitt's steady presence and the film's kinetic action, while others pointed to uneven plotting and tonal shifts. Themes that repeat throughout include the fragility of infrastructure, the complexity of coordinating a global response, and the personal cost of trying to protect loved ones when systems break down. The movie resonates when it leans into urgency and logistical problem-solving, even as its scope sometimes outstrips its narrative focus.