Pet Sematary Review

April 30, 2019 at 10:09pm
By Dylan Mackey

Pet Sematary is the latest horror movie adaption to head into theaters. Directed by Kevin Kolsch (Mama II) and Dennis Widmyer (Holidays). This tense film is based on the book of the same name, by the legendary author Stephen King. Although it appears to be a remake of the 1989 version it has slight differences. Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), his wife Rachel (Amy Siemetz) and their two children, who moved from busy city Boston to rural Maine.

After a couple weeks they find out about the elusive, intriguing Pet Sematary just past the trees in their back yard. The family has been devastated by the tragedy of losing their cat after it got hit by a truck on the nearby road. Louis turns to their neighbor Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) for aid, and he tells him about the powers that the Sematary contains. This information sets off a vicious chain reaction that will change the Creed’s lives forever.

With the setup of this experience coming from the brain of Stephen King this movie is nothing short of horrifying. It definitely gives you chills from the get go. The pacing is great and it keeps you invested the whole time. The scares were mostly cheap jump scares, but they were well placed. Pet Sematary was shot well, the actors did a good job and things fit nicely, good writing and directing.

The family chemistry was good; you could see and feel the love and passion of the young and blossoming family. The film showcases rural Maine well, beautiful woods, big plots of land, old weathered houses, everything you would expect for this latest take on the property.

They did change some of the roles the characters played from the original and this was missing some of Dr. Louis Creed’s interactions with other characters outside his immediate family. I enjoyed the film and it fit into the horror genre well. Although, with not having seen the original one I don’t have a strong base to compare to. I’ve heard that the film follows not only the 1989 movie but the book almost to the T.

The Conclusion

Pet Sematary is another tense, horrifying film from the brain of Stephen King that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a tale of a family’s struggle with moving to a new location, and trying to adapt to a new life. All the while horror is taking place all around them. After the heart wrenching loss of their pet cat the Creeds learn the hard way that, sometimes, dead is better.

Pet Sematary Review at Theater with Standard Viewing
Screening Provided by Paramount

Rating Overall: 7.5