Pet Sematary (2019) Spoiler-Free Review

I have been talking shit about this movie since the trailer dropped. Initially, I was pretty upset about some of the changes that we were shown in the trailer. I made a bunch of assumptions based on the trailer, the creative team, and recent theatrically released horror movies. I maintained, though, that Pet Sematary was going to be a good film but a shitty remake. Was I wrong? Well, I’ll tell you at the end of the review.

What I won’t be doing in this review is comparing the remake to the 1989 film. I plan to avoid it as much as possible anyway.  I already did a fairly in-depth comparison and if you’d like to read it, you can check that out here. It’s long as fuck and full of spoilers; you’ve been warned. I won’t give you any more major spoilers in this review than you got in the trailer. With that being said, let’s dig in.

I’m not getting into the plot. We all pretty much know the plot and I’m trying to spoil as little as possible. So we’ll skip ahead a little bit.

Characters

I like to see bad shit happen to characters that I hate more than just about anything. It’s just fun to watch assholes bite the dust in creative ways. Hell, that’s half the reason to watch most slasher flicks. What is more emotionally effective, though, is having some really bad shit happen to likeable characters. The characters in Pet Sematary are, for the most part, likeable. The reactions feel human and the chemistry in the cast is nice. There are some highlights, though.

Jud and Ellie

The chemistry between Jeté Laurence and John Lithgow is great and the bond that blossoms between Jud and Ellie is super sweet. Ellie is like the granddaughter that Jud never had the chance to have. They click immediately and through Ellie, Jud is introduced to the family. Later in the film, Ellie is resurrected in the sour ground and goes after Jud. Their relationship while she was alive lends their confrontation an extra layer of depth; more on that later, though.

Rachael and Louis

These guys are great together. Amy Seimetz and Jason Clarke also have great chemistry. Rachael and Louis are a really relatable loving couple. They are a team and even in the darkest times, they are there for each other. When Ellie is killed, there is no shouting, finger-pointing, or bickering. They are just mourning parents leaning on one another as best they can. In all their ups and downs, the Creeds are a great couple.

Gage

Oh yeah, they have a kid named Gage. He’s… in some scenes. Really, Gage is just kind of there. He’s more a plot device than a character for the most part. He adds a little bit of emotional depth to his parents and serves to build tension a couple times but other than that he’s just kind of there. He’s a cute kid and all but, other than a couple scenes, his part could have been played by a really cute puppy and it would’ve been about the same.

Dead Ellie

I think part of the reason that Gage was such a nothing character is because the focus was on Ellie. The film really worked to develop her character. She is shown to be bright and sweet. She’s a loveable kid. Her being such a sweetheart makes everything else that happens to her all the more effective.

Going in, I didn’t think that the truck scene would be that big of a deal. Sure, a little tiny child dying is crushing but Ellie is 9, that’ll be way easier. Nope. The build up and the performances are good enough to make that scene absolutely heartbreaking. By this time in the movie, you really start to care about ¾ of the Creed family. Watching one of them die and the other two collapse under sadness is pretty heavy.

When Ellie comes back though, she’s completely different. Any sweetness she shows is obviously fake. She’s a sadistic, vindictive, and sinister creature. I won’t get into all of the shit she does when she comes back but I will say that she is pretty badass. She isn’t just a cute kid who is killing folks; Ellie talks a whole bunch of really hurtful shit. Being an older kid allows for a little more nuance and dialog. Dead Ellie doesn’t fuck around.

Tone

This movie is fucking dark. Like not “Hey I should use this for Fucked up Friday” dark or “this movie took a piece of my soul with it,” dark. It was more like darker than I thought a movie with a wide theatrical release would be willing to go. Pet Sematary isn’t groundbreaking or really pushing the envelope when it comes to horror in general.  When compared to other recent big studio horror films, it takes some pretty bold steps. I liked that.

Conclusion

All in all, would I recommend Pet Sematary. I absolutely would. Go see it! It isn’t a perfect film and it does differ from the 1989 film quite a lot. However, it is one of the rare good remakes. I thought it was a good retelling of a familiar story. In the end, it was a pretty good film and a fairly decent remake. Don’t take my word for it, though, buy your tickets and go check it out for yourself.