Even horror maestro George A Romero admits his 1973 cult favourite wasn't a satisfactory treatment of the devastating effect a biochemical disaster has on a small town. So this upgrade from Sahara director Breck Eisner is a much more worthwhile remake than most. In an expert reinvention, sheriff Timothy Olyphant and his pregnant wife Radha Mitchell try to escape the deadly virus that's turning the local population into zombie-like psychopathic killers and spreading faster than the panic it creates. Appropriating many iconic images from the original, Eisner buffs them up and puts the suspenseful action on a far bigger canvas by using wide-open spaces to superbly creepy effect. The horror moments are equally well staged and sustained, with the car-wash attack a particular highlight. Not only is the film effective in making points about potential quarantine dangers, but also in how they could be horribly mishandled, and it's all frighteningly underlined by the shocking finale.

Four friends find themselves trapped in their small hometown after they discover their friends and neighbors going quickly and horrifically insane.