Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    Pet Sematary

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    Ever since my high school self decided to make a film adaptation of “Pet Sematary” as part of a book report, this story has haunted me - mostly as intended. This 1989 take is a mixed bag. It’s a faithful adaptation of the work and Fred Gwynne is terrific in it. Too bad the other performances are dead on arrival and certain elements of the book just don’t translate well visually.

    The Creed family – Louis (Dale Midkiff), Rachel (Denise Crosby), their daughter Ellie (Blaze Berdahl), and toddler Gage (Miko Hughes) – move into a new home whose forest backyard contains the local pet “sematary”. When their cat is killed, their neighbor, Jud (Gwynne), feels compelled to tell Louis about a place that will bring it back to life.

    If you read the novel by Stephen King, everything in it is here. Too much of it, in fact. Throughout, the ghost of a jogger Louis tried to save (Victor Pascow, played by Brad Greenquist) attempts to steer the Creeds away from the doom that awaits them in the Mi’kmaq burial ground. Why is he here? What does he accomplish? To reinforce the theme of death, I suppose. Same applies to Susan Blommart’s character Missy Dandridge. She serve no purpose in the film, not really. Screentime they eat up could’ve been used to expand on the relationship between Jud and the Creeds or to show the effect of the cursed burial ground on those who visit it. Once you realize what the place does, it’s obvious no one in their right mind would encourage anyone to bury their cat there. You have to assume one trip to the damned place means you’re compelled to go back but that’s the problem. You have to ASSUME.

    The main reason Louis chooses to bring the cat back to life is his wife, whose sister’s death as a child left her traumatized. Whenever the film flashes back to Zelda Goldman, she’s obviously played by a man (Andrew Hubatsek) under a slab of makeup rather than a woman. Why? To try and generate creepy imagery? Nobody outside the film crew knows.

    In many ways, 1989's "Pet Sematary" is dated but it's most obvious during the climax, which might’ve freaked people who saw it as kids but will have anyone who views it now chuckling. It's not a complete disaster. There are some iconic ideas and visuals. The story’s good. Fred Gwynne is such a memorable actor he charms you even when his character is badly written. He fares much better than Dale Midkiff, who is awful as the lead. His character is not convincing, which doesn't help. At least he makes the film entertaining in a “so bad it’s good” kind of way, which means this "Pet Sematary" is sometimes legitimately enjoyable and often ironically fun. (July 18, 2020)

    5
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  7.2.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''Pet Sematary''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.