How does the M3 bacteria spread through the population in Plague?

The M3 bacteria spreads rapidly after a carrier escapes from the hospital, passing the disease through personal contact and by contaminating food at public locations, all without realizing she is infected.

What sets the epidemic in motion in Plague?

The epidemic is set in motion when Dr. Celia Graham develops and accidentally releases the M3 bacteria after bypassing standard protocols.

Drama Cult Classic

A rogue experiment unleashes a deadly bacteria, triggering a global epidemic only a few can hope to stop.

PLAGUE

My God! Where did it come from?

1979 · 1h 28m · PG · Drama / Science Fiction / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

An outbreak of a bacteria called M-3 causes people to die in extreme pain via body spasms. A woman who is a carrier escapes from a hospital and goes on the run, spreading the plague to people she encounters, and onto food in fast food stops etc. She has no idea however that she is a carrier, and as such may carry a cure.

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Quick Answer

What is Plague about?

Plague is a 1979 Canadian science fiction thriller directed by Ed Hunt about a deadly bacteria accidentally released by scientists, sparking a rapidly spreading epidemic that threatens the world.

Programmer's Pick

Plague delivers 1970s paranoia with a petri-dish twist—think bureaucratic red tape, runaway science, and a Typhoid Mary on the lam. The stakes escalate with every cough, all under the meticulous gaze of Ed Hunt. Not for germaphobes.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Plague opens as scientific ambition collides with bureaucratic delay, when Dr. Celia Graham fast-tracks the development of a bacteria called M3 in hopes of boosting food production. Her breach of protocol, however, has catastrophic consequences: the new bacteria escapes into the world, causing severe illness and death, especially among children. As the disease spreads unchecked—accelerated by a woman who unknowingly becomes a global carrier—scientists Dr. Bill Fuller and Dr. Jessica Morgan scramble to develop an antidote. The film mixes tense laboratory drama with the chilling uncertainty of an invisible, unstoppable menace, as society teeters on the brink and ordinary safeguards prove tragically inadequate.

Details & Specs

Director: Ed Hunt
Writers: Barry Pearson, Ed Hunt
Release: 1979
Runtime: 1h 28m
Country: Canada
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Also Known As: M-3: The Gemini Strain, Induced Syndrome

Why This Matters

This Canadian-American science fiction film is notable for its international distribution under multiple alternate titles, reflecting its reach and varied marketing across different regions.

— SassyFlix Curator