Image: Pixabay

Pet Sematary (2019): Review

With the stories of Stephen King experiencing another surge in popularity, it was surely only a matter of time before we’d see a new version of one of his most popular novels, Pet Sematary – but does the new adaptation stand on its own two feet? On the whole, yes – it’s solidly acted and genuinely quite creepy, although its attempts to differentiate itself from the book do lead to some off moments.

The Creed family relocate to the small town of Ludlow, as father Louis (Jason Clarke) has a new job as medical director at the University of Maine. His two children seem to be adapting well to their new surroundings, but his wife Rachel (Amy Semeitz) is haunted by memories of her ill sister. The family is then forced to talk about death, when daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) discovers a local pet cemetery. When the family’s cat, Church, is killed by a truck, friendly neighbour Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) shows Louis a dark secret – a place beyond the cemetery, where the dead can return to life. Unsurprisingly, they don’t come back as they once were. Louis is troubled by the resurrected Church, but when a deeper tragedy befalls the Creeds, his temptation to use the cemetery’s power has some dark consequences.

The most significant change succeeds in amplifying the creepiness and enriching some of the big questions raised by the narrative

Pet Sematary is a new adaptation of both Stephen King’s novel and the 1989 film of the same name, and – despite a few tweaks and changes – it remains largely faithful to them both. I won’t give away the most significant change (even though the film’s trailers felt no such restraint), but it succeeds in amplifying the creepiness and enriching some of the big questions raised by the narrative.

This film also boasts something that the original lacked – a good cast (the sole exception was original Jud actor Fred Gwynne, who desperately tries to raise the standard throughout). Jason Clarke is the linchpin, an every-man actor who plays Louis in a painfully understated way, communicating so much through his eyes as he fights against madness and grief. (He’s a huge upgrade on original Dale Midkiff, who hopelessly over-acts to turn in a wooden performance). Lithgow is charming yet haunted as Jud, bouncing off Laurence in a role that is greatly expanded, and Semeitz steals the show despite not having too much in the way of screen time. Too many horrors suffer from a company of poor actors – Pet Sematary offers a fantastic cast.

The film’s cold-blooded opening lets you know from the off that it wants to be taken seriously

Although the film is packed full of jump scares, Pet Sematary is not really a jump scary sort of horror – rather, it ups the dread by focusing on the psychology of its characters. There are occasional moments of humour, but they ultimately don’t deliver much in the way of levity, and the film’s cold-blooded opening lets you know from the off that it wants to be taken seriously. The muted colour pallet and eerie score contribute to a chilling atmosphere that pervades the film, making even some of the quieter moments feel awry. At one point, Jud asks Louis if he can feel something in the air – the film offers that same feeling.

I particularly felt these chills in the third act, as the tension boils over into what I’d term as more traditional horror. It’s bound to be a divisive film, with a number of critics suggesting that its latter moments become silly, squandering the suspenseful atmosphere in favour of a bit of bloodshed. I don’t agree with this – I think the film is incredibly fair about where it’s heading, and I was on the edge of my seat until the credits started rolling.

King’s darkest work makes a strong transition to screen, resulting in a chilling film that genuinely feels scary

Pet Sematary is an incredibly effective film, but it does suffer from slight faults. Some of the special effects don’t quite work, with a few instances when Church is obviously animatronic. It changes the ending of the original novel (with a finale that is – somehow – even bleaker), but, consequently, some of the elements it incorporates feel underdeveloped because the pay-off is not the same. For example, a decent chunk of Jud’s backstory is cut, making some of his choices in the film feel rather inexplicable, and Louis’ emotional breakdown is far too brief for it to really hit home. I like short films, but I think that this one could have benefited from a longer run-time.

I felt shivers of dread watching Pet Sematary – King’s darkest work makes a strong transition to screen, resulting in a chilling film that genuinely feels scary. The strong cast and directing make up for its few flaws, making it an easy recommendation for horror fans.

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