The Andromeda Strain (1971)

When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. A group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone scrambles to a secure laboratory and tries first to isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont - an old alcoholic and a six-month-old baby - survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form, unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device designed to prevent the escape of dangerous biological agents.

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama

What to watch after The Andromeda Strain

• The China Syndrome (1979) — Two steps away in the credits
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) — Robert Wise directed both
• Coma (1978)
• The Thing from Another World (1951)
• The Hindenburg (1975) — Same feel: tense, suspenseful
• Panic in Year Zero! (1962) — Same feel: tense, serious