An Albanian pilgrim, infected with an unknown disease, is on his way back to Belgrade from the Middle East. When doctors realize that it is a disease that has been considered eradicated, it is already too late - variola vera begins to languish and the hospital is quarantined.
Where to Watch Variola Vera
- KahnsWrath11 april 2026The Yugoslav horror film Variola Vera is a satirical dramatization of the 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak, commenting on the corruption of medical professionals and government officials during the crisis. It's an incredibly tense film that some may argue is more accurately described as a thriller. Still, the main thing that makes it terrifying enough for it to be considered horror is that it's all based on true events, which, sadly, feel just as relevant today. A tremendously underappreciated masterpiece that demonstrates the heights that Yugoslav cinema could reach at its best. But regardless of whether Variola Vera sticks to the traditional notion of what makes a horror film, it's nevertheless a tremendously underappreciated masterpiece that demonstrates the heights that Yugoslav cinema could reach at its best. It's a disaster film with some gruesome body horror that feels all too realistic, filling the viewer with a slowly-climbing sense of dread that doesn't stop even after the credits roll.
Get Plex on Your Devices
Free on 20+ platforms. Pick yours.Variola Vera Trivia
Variola Vera was released on 9 juli 1982.
Variola Vera was directed by Goran Marković.
Variola Vera has a runtime of 1 u, 44 m.
Variola Vera was produced by Aleksandar Stojanović.
An Albanian pilgrim, infected with an unknown disease, is on his way back to Belgrade from the Middle East. When doctors realize that it is a disease that has been considered eradicated, it is already too late - variola vera begins to languish and the hospital is quarantined.
The key characters in Variola Vera are Dr. Grujić (Rade Šerbedžija), Dragutin Kenigsmark (Erland Josephson), Dr. Marković (Dušica Žegarac).
Variola Vera is a Horror, Drama, Historisch film.
Variola Vera has an audience rating of 8.1 out of 10.