The mysterious equilibrium of zombies

In any decade there are really only a handful of movies about math (“Proof” comes to mind, as well as “A Beautiful Mind”), but a surprising number of movies that end up embodying math, even if it’s accidental. “Six Degrees of Separation” is based on the math of social networks. Thrillers have a special propensity for edgy twists on game theory. And what is a disease-outbreak movie if not an illustration of mathematical epidemiology, with puffy suits? To see movies through their math, sometimes, is to watch a whole different drama.