I Am Legend (2007) by Kelsey Barbosa

I Am Legend is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, directed by Francis Lawrence. This movie took twelve years to develop before officially producing and filming the project in 2006. I Am Legend was the seventh highest grossing film in 2007, with earnings of $585 million at the box office worldwide. The movie, originally a novel, depicts a post-apocalyptic life on earth after a cure to cancer spirals into an epidemic disease. The cure turned into a lethal strain, which in turn killed over ninety percent of the population and mutated less than ten percent of the population into nocturnal flesh-eating humans. Only one percent of the overall population was immune to the disease, which leaves them extremely vulnerable to the mass of mutants living on Earth. I Am Legend is another post-apocalyptic movie in Hollywood that challenges and presents the idea of an apocalyptic world caused by scientists and the government of the United States. Since the early 1900s this genre of post-apocalyptic life has been prominent in Hollywood. There is an underlying fear that this is the fate of our world, which makes these films appealing to the audience. The uncertainty of whether or not one will survive an epidemic and the aftermath of such an inevitable tragedy as depicted in the film, makes these apocalyptic films appealing to the human eye.

The film stars Will Smith, who plays the role of Dr. Robert Neville, a United States Army virologist. Dr. Robert Neville is part of the one percent immune to the epidemic disease. As he lives in the deserted and isolated city of New York, he tries every day to find answers and a cure to the lethal strain. Although he is hopeful that there are survivors of the epidemic disease, he is unaware that he is not alone in New York. Every day he sends out broadcast hoping to be rescued or heard by survivors, little does he know there is a community of survivors located in Vermont. As he explores the city for food and survival necessities he comes face to face with his first human encounter in three years, but these were not the humans he expected. He comes face to face with infected mutants of the disease who have the ability to be human again with the right cure. As he battles to save his life and protect his scientific work, he in turn successfully finds a cure, which leads to his death. I Am Legend is a profound post-apocalyptic film that challenges science, medicine, and the United States government.