Don't let "The Crazies" fool you; it may looks like the latest installment of a sub-genre that has already been done to death, but in reality the movie relies more heavily on psychological suspense than scenes of grotesque horror.

A product of George A. Romero, the original "The Crazies" was never fully embraced by audiences in quite the same way as his "... of the Dead" series. Burdened by a deep political commentary and a substantial lack of gore, the 70's version pales in comparison to some of his finer works, and to this day fails to reach the same levels of cult adoration.

Just like the original, Breck Eisner's adaptation is layered with intricate suspense, and expertly cranks up the tension before each payoff. Scenes of increasing violence and subtle shots of half submerged corpses and wreckage keep enough of what is going on in the dark left to the imagination before all hell breaks loose and the townsfolk lose their minds entirely.

Romero's classic story was known for its political views, released in a time when Vietnam was still fresh in everyone's mind. Now while Eisner's adaptation certainly tones down on the politics, the exposition is still in there; as the U.S. Government hunts down townsfolk, scenes of shootings and immolation raise the question of who are the real crazies, and can anyone in the movie really be considered sane? As one of the soldiers explains, they are just following orders, giving him as little willpower in the matter as one of the infected.

What keeps "The Crazies" fresh is the intimate and deeply personal level of the event that is taking place. This is not another "28 Days Later," where the world is ravaged by zombies, nor is it "Resident Evil," where the plot revolves around insidious corporations using the undead for nefarious purposes. This is a delicate tale of personal horror as we witness each of the townsfolk live out their most personal fear as they turn on their loved ones, and are unable to do anything about it.

Being a Romero horror flick, "The Crazies" does possess all of the main staples that go hand-in-hand with an apocalyptic survival story. In the customary but bland expository scenes, we are introduced to the townsfolk (and survivors of the initial cull) whose exploits we will follow once everyone in the vicinity goes crazy. Their banter is light and forgettable, but Eisner keeps these scenes brief and to the point, and offers only enough to make us care whether or not they live through the night.

To that end, Timothy Olyphant does a terrific job as Sheriff Dutton, and he delivers a relaxed and easy going portrayal that really makes you hope he survives the ordeal. And his charm and charisma draw the other characters into the optimistic expectation as well.

Clamoring to escape torture from the crazies, and certain death from the Marines, our group's numbers are depleted slowly but surely in a series of horrific encounters. Iconic scenes like one of the crazies stalking the school rooms whilst dragging a pitchfork (because a Romero movie isn't truly complete until someone brandishes a pitchfork) and close calls in a car wash all keep the story grounded. This is not an epic end-of-the-world apocalypse, and is instead gracefully told on a smaller scale. Fights are restricted to close quarters, and remain refreshing when compared to other movies of its creed. There are no over-the-top set pieces or outlandish kills ... everything is kept low key and all the more acceptable for it. Case in point: Sheriff Dutton's fight with a family of crazies.

To say that Eisners' "The Crazies" is better than the original would be an injustice to Romero's classic, but this movie comes loaded with added relevance in a politically unstable time, and with a cast you can't help but root for.

"The Crazies" arrives Monday on Blu-ray and DVD from Momentum Pictures.