The Crazies is a remake of a 1973 film by George Romero and it's about a small Iowa town where people start to act a little "crazy." (A little bit like zombies actually.) Could it be something in the water? The government comes in and makes everything much better, as usual. And that's about it for the plot.
What makes this film better than average is what it DOESN'T have: the overused cliches of contemporary horror films. It does not have 1) a large cast of forgettable characters who get killed off one by forgettable one in new and unusual ways, 2) gratuituous gore, 3) overwrought music, and 4) telegraphed "jumps" (cats jumping out of closets, etc.).
What is does have is a solid, fast-moving plot and an outstanding cast of only about four characters, all of whom are complex and realistic. The always engaging Timothy Olyphant plays the sheriff trying to get to the bottom of all this "craziness", Radha Mitchell plays his semi-grating pregnant doctor wife, and Danielle Panabaker plays the doctor's assistant.
All the actors are good, and characterizations are pretty strong. But it's the fourth actor and character that brings this movie to a whole new level. Although a secondary character to the 'hero' sheriff, Joe Anderson as the deputy sheriff plays a surprisingly complex character. He brings depth and humor to the role, and his performance is probably one of the best I've ever seen in a horror film. All in all, it's a darned good contemporary horror film.
