Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that The Crazies is a violent, somewhat cynical remake of a 1973 film by famed horror director George A. Romero. The tense movie is filled with strong language, disturbing images, i.e. grisly piles of mutilated and burned corpses, as well as blood, jump-scares, and other frightening moments. But despite this, and the over-reliance on genre clichés, the movie contains some interesting ideas and should spark some good conversation between parents and older teens about the role of the military in society and the human instinct for survival.
Sexual
Content
No onscreen sex. The action focuses mainly on a married couple. The wife is pregnant and they occasionally kiss, hold hands, and touch each other in comfortable ways. A teenage girl has a secret boyfriend, but we only see them together in one scene, where they hug.
Violence
Horror imagery and violence abounds, though the most disturbing imagery comes in the piles upon piles of grisly, burned or otherwise mutilated corpses. One of the scariest sequences occurs in a military tent as men in hazard suits run weird medical tests and forcibly separate loved ones (including a mother from her child). Huge amount of gun violence, including shootings, killings, and threats. Also head-whacking with a blunt instrument, an attack with a bonesaw, stabbing with a pitchfork, a knife through a hand, an attacker set on fire, and bodies burned with a flamethrower.
Language
There are many instances of both "s--t" and "f--k" with some uses of "Jesus Christ" and "Goddamn" as exclamations.
Social
Behavior
The movie carries over the Vietnam-era social commentary from George A. Romero's 1973 original, which is that the military is just as bad as -- if not worse than -- the maniacal, homicidal "crazies." Wherever the heroes go, they must look out for both kinds of attackers. There are no suggestions for improving this situation. It could be argued that the heroes fighting for their lives and exhibiting compassion and love in the face of true horror is an admirable quality, but the overall theme of the movie trumps their efforts.
Consumerism
The "Valvoline" logo is prevalent in one shot.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
One character is described as a drunk, but we never see him or anyone else drinking. No drugs or smoking.
