The Crazies (1973)

Its code name is ‘Trixie,’ an experimental government germ weapon that leaves its victims either dead or irreversibly insane. When the virus is accidentally unleashed in Evans City, Pennsylvania, the small community becomes a war zone of panicked military, desperate scientists and gentle neighbors turned homicidal maniacs. Now a small group of citizens has fled to the town’s outskirts where they must hide from trigger-happy soldiers while battling their own depraved urges. But even if they can escape the madness of this plague, can they survive the unstoppable violence of THE CRAZIES?
On a budget that, in Hollywood, is about the equivalent of the loose change underneath the sofa cushions, the legendary Horror maestro George A. Romero proves yet again in his 1973 Chiller The Crazies that story and tone are more important -- and far more effective -- than even top-flight acting, seamless special effects, professional production values, and glamorous shooting locations. While sheer style can sometimes overcome a lack of substance, it's thematic purpose that truly keeps cinema fresh and relevant, and The Crazies, on a shoestring budget and minus glitz and glamour, builds an urgent and timeless tale of a power struggle in a time of upheaval and the resultant fear and paranoia that's compounded by elusive elements, confused power structures, and general chaos. The skilled filmmaker Romero proves his mettle here perhaps more so than in any other of his exceptional films, turning an idea and a fistful of dollars not into his best picture but certainly a thought-provoking film that's not a work of art but nevertheless worthy of attention and respect for its layered themes and disturbing glimpse into what may result from a military and government run amok inside its own borders.