Pet Sematary Review
7.5 / 10. A creepy and atmospheric adaptation of the 1983 novel, with some major differences that work fiendishly well *SPOILERS*
Pet Sematary is a dark supernatural horror film directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer from a screenplay by Jeff Buhler and screen story Matt Greenberg. This is the second adaptation of the 1983 novel of the same name by Stephen King.
Dr Louis Creed and his family - wife Rachel, their two young children, Ellie and Gage, and Ellie's cat, Church - relocate to rural Maine, and discover a deeply creepy and mysterious graveyard hidden in the woods near their new home, a “Pet Sematary” (spelt so as it’s a sign written by children).
Dr Creed fails to save a teenager, Victor, after he is hit by a car, then begins to experience vivid dreams featuring Victor who leads him to the far, forbidden end of the cemetery.
After a further horrific accident affects his family, Dr Creed speaks to his neighbour Jud Crandall, who tells him about the supernatural powers of the ground at the graveyard. Then things really go downhill…
The funeral procession of the children to the Pet Sematary near the beginning set the dark tone of the film and was a great scene.
There are major differences from the 1989 film adaptation and 1983 book. In both Gage, the little boy, is killed by the truck, but now it is the slightly older girl, Ellie.
It was a shock as I didn’t know they’d changed this aspect, but it worked fiendishly well. There was more to work with, with a slightly older child. Ellie’s speech and actions upon her return to the family are unsettling and have a psychological effect on the family, as well as the horror of her just attacking them. Ellie was very convincingly and effectively portrayed, in life and death, by Jete Laurence.
The special effects of the returned Ellie are really effective, her rolling eye is especially creepy when she’s getting tucked in by her dad, and the bath time hair brushing scene is particularly gross and disturbing. There are also a few good jump scares.
Jason Clarke is very good here as Dr Louis Creed, in a role different to most films I’ve seen him in. John Lithgow as Jud is great as expected, however, Amy Seimetz is a little flat as Rachel.
The mythology is intriguing and there are brief shots of newspaper clippings detailing the history and past strange occurrences, which leaves you wanting to see more than the snapshots they showed, and be able to read them, but maybe there wouldn’t be enough time in the run time.
Cats are scary enough at the best of times, and Church is a squiff-eyed menace.
Pet Sematary is a creepy, atmospheric adaptation of the famous King book, and this film features a grim, bleak ending which ties back to the opening scenes. I liked this ending better than the 1989 film adaptation.
“Sometimes dead is better”.