Movie Review: The Crazies Takes the Viewer on a Tense Ride

The residents of Ogden Marsh have a bad case of "the crazies," and yep, there's something in the water. This 2010 remake of a 1973 film from zombie master George Romero is both taut and intense for the viewer. The Crazies takes the viewer much deeper though and elevates this movie far above typical horror movies.

The Crazies takes the viewer into a small Iowa town where life is simple and enjoyable. Everybody knows everyone else and the townspeople treat each other like family. When a farmer with a shotgun wanders onto the high school baseball field where the whole town has turned out to watch the first game of the season, the nightmare begins.

What happens next is the excellent intertwining of both straight out horror movie and psychological thriller. From the moment the farmer wanders onto the ball field, the viewer begins to breathe in shallow gasps and hangs on with clenched fists.

The story centers around the town of Ogden Marsh where something strange is happening. People are acting strangely and well, they seem to be going crazy. Hence the name. . .The Crazies. Something is definitely in the water as it is revealed early on - a plane has crashed into a creek and something has contaminated the water supply.

The infection causes the people of Ogden Marsh to develop a single-minded focus on hurting other people in the most horrendous ways they can come up with. While there is blood and a fair amount of stomach-churning scenes, the story of The Crazies centers upon survival and the emotional trauma that the people of Ogden Marsh are suffering - most specifically Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife Dr. Judy Dutton (Radha Mitchell).

Military troops converge upon Ogden Marsh to quarantine the town and attempt to stop the spread of the infection. Not surprisingly, the true tactic for quarantine is extermination as citizens are rounded up and herded to the local high school. They are tested for suspected infection and separated into groups. Sheriff Dutton is sent to a local truck stop but his wife is kept in the infection facility. Dutton is determined to rescue his wife and get to safety.

The infected turn into zombie-like creatures but without the taste for human flesh. They are cognizant of what is going on, but they are completely irrational and in some cases catatonic when they are not trying to destroy every person they come into contact with. Because "the crazies" retain a semblance of their humanity and their personalities, it makes it more disturbing to see then being dispatched. They are not mindless undead zombies - instead, they are neighbors, friends, loved ones.

Some scenes are shot with natural lighting while others are washed out - keeping the viewer unsettled and tense. The story and the acting is top notch and there were not moments when I found myself thinking "Now why did they do that? That was cheesy!"

I found myself caring for the characters of this movie and even gasped as minor characters were killed or succumbed to the crazies. Because this movie is from George Romero, fans may be expecting typical zombie fare, but truthfully, The Crazies goes much deeper. The Crazies delves into the murky waters of biological weaponry, the true nature of humanity and the horror of the unexpected. The characters are focused on making it out of the town alive but also plagued with the fear of infection.

I was impressed with The Crazies and felt the movie certainly exceeded my expectations. Why? I was going into it with the expectation of seeing just another horror movie that had zombie overtones, but The Crazies gave me so much more. I walked out of the movie thinking and thinking deeply. Any movie that makes me think while entertaining me and continues to make me think long after the movie is over is a hit in my book.