Hooptoper Neun (2022) - Film #19
2 1970s regional US films

A lot of other reviewers have discussed the quality of acting in this movie. A few minutes in, and I understood why. Whilst casting unknown actors is very much a Romero trope, it doesn’t always pay off. Sometimes you get a rawness that works, and other times you get odd line delivery and performances that actively hinder the plot. It’s not accurate to say that all performances here are on the same level of course, but is a common enough theme to seriously impact upon the movie.

The film carries another Romero trope - a core group of characters trying to survive a large scale catastrophe, whilst dealing with the internal dynamics of the group. The concept is fine, but it does mean that some of heavy lifting done by the effects in Romero’s Living Dead series isn’t possible here.

The catastrophe here is a town becoming afflicted by a biological weapon, one that induces insanity. The cleverness here, of course, is that in such a difficult scenario, people are likely to act unpredictably and irrationally, even when not afflicted by the weapon. With more effective dialogue and acting performances, the doubt regarding who within the core characters have been affected could be an intriguing plot point. Unfortunately, this film is not executed effectively to make this situation reach its potential impact.

The government response to this situation is a key theme here, and it’s become a relatively common theme in disaster movies. It’s not done badly here, highlighting the disjointed nature of the government, the lack of information provided to the public and those lower down the totem pole, and the mental gymnastics undertaken to try and forget that those within the situation are human. This theme, combined with the low-energy nature of the film and the complete lack of optimism make for a pretty bleak watch.

There are other issues with the execution. The soundtrack is pretty weak and the cinematography is nothing to really write home about (whilst not being a particular issue). The biggest issue with The Crazies though, is that it’s just a bit boring. I’ve a huge amount of respect for Romero’s work, for the commentary embedded within his picture, but most of all, his innovation. That said, nothing I’ve seen of his has had me hugely excited up to now. Dawn of the Dead came the closest, and there were some wonderful scenes in that picture, but I’d have to say The Crazies is the furthest away from hitting that mark for me.

As a point of history, and an entry in a key director’s filmography, The Crazies is worth a watch. However, from a point of pure entertainment, I’d give this one a miss.