A film I’ve wanted to do a post about for a while is one of my favourite horror movies of recent years, and after seeing Timothy Olyphant (the lead actor) turn up in last week’s episode of The Book of Boba Fett, I decided the other night that it was time for a re-watch.
The Crazies (2010)
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a horror/mystery/thriller and a remake of the 1973 version directed by the late George A. Romero.
It stars Timothy Olyphant (Die Hard 4.0), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Joe Anderson (The Grey) and Danielle Panabaker (The Flash) among others.
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
Anarchy reigns when an unknown toxin turns the peaceful citizens of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into murderous lunatics. In an effort to contain the spread of the infection, authorities blockade the town and use deadly force to keep anyone from getting in or out. Now trapped among killers, Sheriff Dutten (Olyphant), his wife Judy (Mitchell) and two companions must band together to find a way out before madness or death (or both) claims them too.
It’s very rare that a remake is anywhere near as good as the original and even rarer that it’s better. Although in this case I haven’t seen the original, I suspect this is one of the few examples of the remake being superior. It’s a great film and doesn’t waste any time getting to the point.
I’ve said before that I have a strange fascination with the whole apocalypse idea, especially when Zombies are involved. In this movie however, the threat doesn’t come from zombies but rather “infected” - people like you and me who for some mysterious reason (revealed later in the movie) just start turning…well, crazy. It makes things really interesting because the protagonists face a threat that, as murderous and bloodthirsty as it is, is also calculating.
I really like Timothy Olyphant. I first saw him in Scream 2 (1997) and have since seen him pop up in a few things but never really as the main star. He always puts in a good performance though, most notably in A Perfect Getaway (2009) and This Is Where I Leave You (2014).
Similarly, Radha Mitchell is a decent actress who also shows up in good films from time to time. Some of my favourites of hers include Pitch Black (2000), Rogue (2007) and Surrogates (2009).
A special mention has to go to Joe Anderson who plays Russell, the sheriff’s deputy. He’s a strong supporting actor and his character‘s role in the film is both heroic and tragic.
This is easily one of my favourite horror/thrillers and one I’ve watched many times now. It has likeable characters that are easy to root for, a good pace, plenty of tension and a great story that’ll keep you gripped right up until the end credits.
If you like apocalyptic/“infection” movies I highly recommend this one.
Seen this and/or the original? Let me know below.
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