Pet Sematary Review: Adaptation Resurrects Horror Classic
Synopsis Courtesy of IMDb.com: “Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.”
Directed by: Kevin Kölsch (Starry Eyes), Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes)
Written by: Jeff Buhler (The Midnight Meat Train), based on the novel by Stephen King
Starring: Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), John Lithgow (Cliffhanger)
Pet Sematary is rated R.
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Adapted from the 1983 Stephen King novel of the same name, Pet Sematary revolves around a rural town in Maine, and the cemetery rumored to bring animals (and potentially much more) back to life. When his daughter’s pet cat is turned into fodder for a passing truck, Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), with the help of his elderly neighbor Jud (John Lithgow), buries the animal in the “Pet Sematary,” in an attempt to shield his daughter from the realities of death. When the cat shows up again the next day, Louis realizes the power of the burial site, unlocking a much darker potential when tragedy strikes again.
This is obviously a story that has been seen and read before, but I appreciated the efforts made by the writers to adjust the plot without losing the tone of the book. The costume and set design elements are perfectly creepy, especially the cemetery itself. Louis' wife, Rachel (Amy Seimetz), is fleshed out with a chilling backstory which influences much of the later film.
Too often I find horror films driven by boneheaded decisions made by the characters; decisions I believe no rational human would make. Pet Sematary on the other hand, is a thoughtful examination of grief and loss, one where the decisions feel more genuine. Amidst my silent pleading with the characters, I knew deep down that they were acting as I would, and that made the terror real on another level.
While I thoroughly enjoyed 2019’s Pet Sematary, I have one main gripe to address, and that is the lack of care afforded to the adapted characters. The film certainly managed to pull from the pages the outline of each, but is ultimately too interested in bringing the story to its climax to provide adequate depth. Less than halfway through the novel, I had a pretty good idea where the story was going, and I felt the same with the film. Unlike the slow-burn that builds up in the book, this adaptation rushes through the finer points, and I never felt the same level of connection while watching this.
Pet Sematary isn’t the most groundbreaking or innovative horror film I have seen, but the writers, cast and crew deserve credit for understanding what this film is, and doing that extremely well. It moves with a brisk purpose, and does an impressive job of creating a universal appeal for fans and newcomers alike. At only 100 minutes in length, the film probably would not have suffered from more context, but I respect the choice of the filmmakers to keep it concise. This film encompasses all that I hoped for from an adaptation, and succeeds as a dreadfully fun retelling of a tale that has frightened fans for generations.
Reel Rating: 7/10
Pet Sematary opens in cinemas on April 5.
