The Nevada Sagebrush

Town sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) encounter Curt Hamill, one of the townspeople infected with a sickness that drives people crazy. Hamill kills his family and burns down his home in “The Crazies.” Overture Films

Fires ravage recently abandoned buildings. Empty streets full of broken down cars stretch from one side of the town to the other. Trash swirls in the wind, the only movement visible in the isolated surroundings. Somewhere in the distance a scream cries out, followed by silence. The new zombie film, “The Crazies,” creates a tense world were something can jump out from around a corner at any second.

The story takes place in the small town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, a quaint little farm town of less than 1,500 people. The opening shot of the film shows the town ablaze, completely destroyed by an unknown force. It then cuts to “two days earlier” and plays out in suspenseful fashion up to the dramatic event that burns the town.

The local sheriff David Dutton, played with a likable toughness by Timothy Olyphant (“Hitman”), sees the first signs of trouble at a local baseball game. During the packed sporting event, one of the townsfolk walks into the field with a loaded shotgun. His gaze looks inhuman. After that, everything goes to Hell.

The story slowly unfolds to reveal what is driving the people into a murderous insanity. The close-knit nature of the small town means every murder leaves a mark on the rest of the community. The destabilizing of the local families as their loved ones turn crazy is chilling and effective. The first half of the film creeps by, building an atmosphere of uneasiness that peaks with a horrifying scene of a man wielding a pitchfork as an instrument of death.

From there, the movie shifts gears into a survival-thriller, which amps up the action. The pacing is intense, with a strong foundation from the first half of the film and a rollercoaster ride from the half-way mark to the finish, including one of the scariest car washes in movie history.

While the supporting cast is quite good, including a terrific performance from Joe Anderson as the town deputy, the infected population really steals the show. Not since “28 Days Later” have there been such creepy zombies lurking the streets. Unlike that movie, though, the infection process is slow. People question whether they are sick. They try to hang on, but one by one they lose themselves to the sickness.

“The Crazies” is a triumph in the horror genre. It portrays the main characters as real people who have interesting relationships and actually make rational decisions. The character development isn’t top notch, but it is better than most slasher or zombie movies, and that extra layer of detail adds a lot to the events that happen.

Most of the credit should go to director Breck Eisner, who keeps the movie from becoming campy or boring. Every scene is shot well and plays up the tension of what’s always just around the corner. Romero acts as an executive producer, and his expertise shines throughout the movie with piles of corpses and blood-splattered walls used to strike just enough terror into viewers to keep them on edge the whole way through.

The film does have a few too many jump-scares, and it loses some of its realism with the cool yet ridiculous ending, but those are really just nitpicks in an otherwise solid thrill ride. Fans of zombie movies everywhere should not miss out on “The Crazies.”

‘The Crazies’
Release Date: Feb. 26
Director: Breck Eisner
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell and Joe Anderson
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rating:R for bloody violence and language
Grade: B+

Garrett Estrada can be reached at gestrada@nevadasagebrush.com

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