PET SEMATARY – Review

Death affects people differently. Sometimes in unexpected ways. For some, coping with the inevitable is hard to even think about. For some, they are plagued by images of their loved ones now gone. For some, the outcome can’t be accepted and so denial sets in.

What death is and what death means and all the other complicated questions that arise from this thought process can lead to a gateway of ideas that are both fascinating and terrifying. While Stephen King’s classic novel deals with the many stages of death and grief, PET SEMATARY (2019) is more interested in traveling down a path of cheap thrills and visual cues already presented in Mary Lambert’s 1989 film of the same name. Bringing to mind horror films from the early aughts, Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s remake is made up of tiny jump scares every five minutes – a filmmaking rule that seems as outdated as it is unnecessary to filmgoers in 2019. A solid script with engaging characters doesn’t need to constantly remind audiences that they are watching a horror film, especially scares that seem so telegraphed and add nothing to the heart of King’s story.

Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) relocates with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine. On the grounds that their farmhouse resides is a mysterious burial ground deep in the woods. When their cat Church gets hit by a truck on the road in front of their home, Louis turns to his neighbor, Jud (John Lithgow). Their decision to bury the cat in the Pet Cemetery (or Sematary as it is spelled) triggers a chain of events with horrific consequences.

Sound plays an essential part in Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s remake. From nature sounds outside to disturbing flashbacks involving Rachel’s sister and a dumbwaiter to creaking floorboards overhead in the farmhouse, it all combines into an effective mood-building character. The sound design almost has elements of the classic 1963 version of THE HAUNTING. Additional more unexpected sounds add uneasiness, like in a scene where Rachel is clutching her eyes shut and you can actually hear the sounds of her eyes tightening for dear life. Christopher Young, who has made a name for himself with classic horror film scores for HELLRAISER and THE DARK HALF gives the film a traditional but eerie score that hits the right notes and gives the film an elevated presence.

The cast certainly makes their presence known with a strong ensemble, especially young Jeté Laurence as their daughter Ellie. Her transformation in the second half is more than just a series of creepy looks, as she does so much with her voice to invoke chills. While she quickly becomes the star of the film, the rest of the cast drift further and further into the background. So much so that the family’s other child, Gage, truly becomes an unnecessary character in the film. Victor – a classic character from the novel who is a ghost that haunts the doctor – also becomes a missed opportunity. In Mary Lambert’s film and on King’s pages, the character of Victor lends the film a subtle bit of dark humor. How the character is approached in this shows how the filmmakers were much more interested in an actor serving as your standard creepy plot device as opposed to a unique and more challenging character.

The film lives up to the true definition of a remake. This isn’t so much a reimagining or reinterpretation of the story… well…. Until the ending. All the scenes are there and even have the same look and feel as the original film. The familiar proceedings begin to take a more genuine turn in the film’s finale, which deviates quite a bit from the source material as well as the original film (Mary Lambert’s film also made a change to King’s original ending). And while I admire that the film finally does its own thing, the ending simply doesn’t make sense in the context of the characters. For die-hard fans of the novel, controversial decisions are made that seem based on creating imagery straight from an EC comics story instead of ending on an inspired, thematic note.

We live in an era of fresh and exciting horror remakes like the recent versions of SUSPIRIA and IT. Films that examine the source material and find new ways to present the ideas. In comparison, PET SEMATARY feels expected. Despite some scenes playing out slightly different than they do in the original film or book, much of the film has the same familiar beats. Even in the scenes when it doesn’t present it exactly how it’s supposed to happen, it knowingly winks at the audience in a groan-worthy “gotcha” manner. The real shocker would have been if Jeff Buhler’s screenplay would’ve delved deeper into some of the themes of sheltering kids from death and discussions of mortality & grief found in King’s book. The real tragedy of this new version of PET SEMATARY is that it’s more interested in cheap scares than connecting the audience to a story about a family dealing with trauma and grief.

OVERALL SCORE: 2.5 out of 5

PET SEMATARY opens in theaters April 5