A Reel Review: PET SEMATARY

Horror films have always had to accomplish more than just scaring people out of their seats. A good story is, of course, is the most important thing…and creating characters that are actually people and not just targets for blade-wielding ghouls helps too. In this modern era, all that is not enough, as the genre has advanced to the point where a theme or lesson; something to take home, is almost expected. It’s not a bad thing, as this new angle elevates horror to serious cinema, and the next film to take a step across that barrier is the latest version of Stephen King’s PET SEMATARY. 

Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), relocate from Boston to the laid-back countryside of Maine with their kids; eight-year-old Ellie (Jete Laurence), and toddler Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie). When the loss of the family pet cat devastates Ellie, their new neighbor Judd (John Lithgow), takes Louis to a mysterious cemetery where pets are resurrected…but don’t come back the same. 

PET SEMATARY begins in familiar territory, with the Creed family moving into their new home for a fresh start on life. Their new surroundings have two drawbacks; the road they live on is a throughway for tractor trailers that thunder on by like they’re in a race, and their property is home to the creepy home-made graveyard with a long history of urban legend tales. One thing leads to another, and these two elements come crashing together as one of the Creed children are killed by a truck, and a distraught Louis, wrecked with grief, exhumes his child and re-buries them in the makeshift burial place…despite warnings from Judd that those buried there do not come back the same. 

Horror always asks us to buy into a lot, and a certain suspension of disbelief and reality is needed to take-in a film where dead children (and pets) rise out of the ground and begin drawing blood. But what makes PET SEMATARY even more palpable and believable are themes of grief, loss, and survivors’ guilt that the characters carry. There are a lot of real-world emotions at work, and it isn’t that far-fetched that Louis would try to bring his daughter back no matter what the risks were. Starting with the loss of the family cat, we genuinely feel for this family and it makes the tragedy they’re headed for all the more impactful. 

Once the scares start, they work and they work well. Plenty of jumps and misdirection are here, and co-directors Kevin Koisch and Dennis Widmyer do excellent work in ramping up the tension and dread. Flashbacks to Rachel’s past, which involve her long-dead, deformed sister come when we least expect it, and Louis’ dream-visions really mess with our heads. The editing is sharp as Koisch and Widmyer blur the line between past and present. The film looks great, and the sound-editing and mixing will have us checking over our shoulders. 

Acting is superb. Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz are well-matched and play the roles of grieving parents very well. John Lithgow is excellent and has officially embraced his role as one of cinema’s best elder-statesman. The film absolutely belongs to young Jete Laurence, who is asked to do a lot and pulls it off like a screen veteran. 

PET SEMATARY goes into some extremely dark and disturbing places; the exhumation for one, is something that is pretty goddamn hard to watch. The ending is a shocker and has one of those final shots that can stick with us for a very long time. This new version of King’s novel definitely brings the scares and serves as a lesson on love and loss…and a minor indictment on selfish parents and dads who think they can fix anything. It’s a clever, and effective blending of horror and reality…and gives us plenty to take home. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it