MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Supernatural Horror/Stars: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jeté Laurence, Hugo and Lucas Lavoie, Obssa Ahmed, Alyssa Brooke Levine, Suzy Stingl, Maria Herrera, Jacob Lemieux, Maverick Fortin, Lou Ferrando, Najya Muipatayi, Emma Hill, Frank Schorpion, Linda E. Smith, Sonia Maria Chirila/Runtime: 101 minutes
I think it can be said without a doubt that, for a generation of movie goers, the 1989 adaptation of the iconic Stephen King novel Pet Sematary is a time-honored film that, for all its detriments, still holds up fairly well. Indeed the work done behind the camera is more than capable, the mood is delightfully on-point and the performances are really good (especially by Fred Gwynne whose take on Jud Crandall is nothing short of iconic in the annals of horror cinema). Suffice it to say then that with how iconic this slice of cinema is to the realm of the horror genre I can say that it was completely understandable why there were some out there who might have been just a wee bit apprehensive when it was announced that Paramount Pictures was actually deciding to remake the property. Thankfully, I can safely say that 2019’s take on Pet Sematary is actually a fairly horrific and engaging little slice of cinema….if by engaging you are the kind of person who takes delight in seeing some people go through the absolute emotional wringer and then some. Indeed, the work done behind the camera is fairly well-done at bringing this walking nightmare vividly to life, and the cast actually do a great job at putting distinct spins on their respective characters. Sure, there are those of you who might take issue with the things removed and the changes to the source material that this slice of cinema chooses to engage in. However, if you are a person who is just plain and simply looking for an engaging and delightfully sinister couple of hours then I feel you shall find a fair bit to appreciate in this new take on an iconic walk through a very familiar looking cinematic graveyard.
The plot is as follows: Pet Sematary gets its story underway by introducing us to the Creed family. This family unit, comprised of patriarch Louis, matriarch Rachel, and their two children Ellie and Gage, have decided to move from the hustling and bustling community of Boston all the way to a tiny and seemingly tranquil community in Maine (of course) known as Ludlow where Louis is to take on the reigns as a local college’s chief doctor. Also worthy of note I guess is the fact that our charming family’s new digs are on an absolutely gorgeous estate that in back houses a serene and expansive wooded area, but in front has to deal with a highway that is haunted by seemingly non-stop big-rigs that hurtle past at a speed that would make the train from Unstoppable show pause for concern. Yet despite things starting out wonderful including the befriending of their new next-door neighbor, an older yet amicable enough gentleman by the name of Jud Crandall, we soon see things take a turn for the eerie when Louis starts getting creepy visits from a recently deceased young man by the name of Victor Pascow who he desperately tried to save his first day, but was tragically unable to. At any rate, we soon see that Victor has decided to take it upon himself to look out for the Creed family as a weird ghostly guardian angel kind of entity with part of his duties including grimly warning Louis not to have anything with a nearby pet cemetery started by the kids who’ve grown up in the area over the years because all is not what it appears to be with the place. However, when the family’s loved beyond all imagining pet cat Church tragically dies after getting plowed into by one of the aforementioned trucks, we see Jud escort Louis past the cemetery late one night to a place that is a lot more terrifying, malevolent, and that takes the shape and form of an ancient Native American burial site. It is in this place dear reader where we see Jud tell our hero to bury Church, but it is also in this place where we see a series of nightmarish occurrences originate from. A series that by the time they are done will teach our family and their dear neighbor the properties of terror and grief in the most heart wrenching manner possible and place them face to face with a horror that will chill them to the bone and cause them to take part in a desperate battle for survival…..
Now right off the bat, I will note that in terms of work being done behind the camera that the screenplay for this adaptation, as penned by Jeff Buhler, is a top-notch effort on quite a few levels. Indeed, this is a story that is very much one that is meant to serve as a horror-tinged analysis on the ideas of not only grief and loss to say nothing of the wounds they can leave on our psyche, but also in regards to those difficult questions a parent is faced with answering when a child experiences loss for the first time and props to the creative team behind the camera for really welcoming all of it with open arms. Suffice it to say that yes this slice of cinema might be one that is both an arresting and riveting cinematic voyage, but this is by no means a cinematic cruise that gives you a collection of cheap jump scares and then calms your nerves with some humor before then going back at it. Rather, this is a multileveled, immersive in its wickedness waking nightmare that does have its share of terrors, but it also possesses a pretty decent degree of convolutedness to it that help to transport those scares to a level beyond chilling you for a little while and then dissipating into the mist. Instead, this slice of horror cinema is one that sinks its fangs into you fairly early on, inserts the anxiousness and grim reality of death and terror into your body, and then sees if you have what it takes to hang on for dear life as we witness our cast of characters be overwhelmed by the forces of agony, hopelessness, and horrifically violent fallout as a result of letting their grief overwhelm them and make them do some things that, were they clearly thinking things through, they might not have done otherwise. Aiding that is the fact that not only are the set pieces involved immensely ingenious, but the work in terms of the visuals is nothing short of absolutely phenomenal. On top of that, we see that the work from cinematographer Laurie Rose is truly incredible. I mean there are some vision-centric tricks that are brilliantly utilized, the handling of the more visceral moments are given the right amounts of ominous suspense and unease, and as for the biggest incident in the narrative it truly is both grand in scale and intimately heartbreaking as well. Finally, I also think praise should be given here to the musical accompaniment to this film from Christopher Young for being gorgeously inhibited, visceral, and coarse all at the same time. Suffice it to say that this slice of cinema is one that is successful, by and large, in being able to conjure up the vibe that the people behind the camera had a clear and assertive idea for where they wanted to go with their take on this story and I really respect them for not only having the dedication to see it through, but also to Paramount Pictures for actually letting them make the movie the way they wanted to and not interfering in any way that would prove detrimental to the overall quality of the finished product.
Of course, with all of that established it should not come as a big surprise to learn that where the majority of this slice of cinema’s delightfully undead heart is located is with its collection of characters. Thankfully, we see that the cast that has been assembled in front of the camera are more than willing to rise to the challenge and make this film work to the best of their ability. Indeed, not only is it crystal clear from the beginning that this is a family that does love and support one another, but the film also ingeniously contributes distinct curve balls in their bonds with one another that are both threaded delightfully well into the story and also make these people feel like genuine human beings instead of just mere characters in a movie. Perhaps one of the most noteworthy examples of this that I can think of is an early moment where Louis and Rachel both utilize their respective backgrounds of science and faith respectively to try and calm Ellie down about the idea of death. Indeed not only is it a moment that operates phenomenally at that point in this slice of cinema, but it also proves to be integral to constructing the character-based supports that reinforce the remainder of this film’s narrative. This starts with film lead Jason Clarke who does a delightful job at playing Louis’ arc in a more subtle and nuanced manner than you might be expecting. Indeed not only does Clarke brilliantly showcase the every-day guy mannerisms needed to make this story of a parent’s worst fear come to life relatable for everyone and anyone, but he also does a great job at showing Louis’s slow yet steady descent into madness fairly well too. Yes, this character is not the easiest in the world to empathize with due to his repeated attempts to try and maintain some kind of control in his life on things that he isn’t permitted to control, but Clarke still is able to make you feel some kind of sympathy for this man even as he makes boneheaded decision after boneheaded decision that simply makes things go from bad to worse. Now in the role of Rachel, we see that Amy Seimetz also does a terrific job at subtly playing with the bleaker side to this character who is finding the tragedies of her past coming into contact with the here and now in ways she would rather not deal with for fear of reopening wounds on her psyche she has spent a long-time healing from. Indeed Seimetz may not get as much screentime as some of the other characters, but she does do good work with what she is given in terms of screentime and narrative material. Perhaps the biggest surprise this film is working with however is the work done by John Lithgow in the role of Jud Crandall that Fred Gwynne made so iconic in the adaptation from 1989. Indeed, unlike Gwynne who portrayed Jud as a good ol’ bumpkin type who knew the area like the back of his hand and came across as a warm and friendly grandfather sort of guy, Lithgow plays Jud here as a guy who is still a friendly and kind man, but who also is very much reserved and with a darker edge to him that Gwynne would never have thought of bringing to the part. Suffice it to say that it may be a completely different performance, but it is also one that, given the different approach to the source material, does work incredibly well. Oh and yes there is a charmingly small bit of meta comedy found in this film for those in the know when Jud meets Church the cat and is told who he was named after. Speaking of that poor rascally devil of a cat, I should point out that Church is very much in many respects a different animal in some ways in this as opposed to his turn in the 1989 adaptation. Yes he proves to be just as chilling and spooky as he was back then. Yet unlike the other one where he just seems to be grumpy (with more than a hint of some afterlife b.o.) that he got denied a chance to enjoy the big scratching post/cat nip dispenser in the sky right down to dropping a fat mouse in the tub with someone in it to express his displeasure, this take on the character is definitely not that. No, this one is just straight up menacing and infinitely more sadistic in regards to his personality and his behaviors following his unwelcome return from the hereafter. Suffice it to say that the original version may be iconic, but don’t be surprised if this one gives you a few nightmares as well. Now you may have noticed that haven’t mentioned the two kids in this. Trust me when I say that it’s not because the kid actors are terrible. Rather, it’s because there are elements about their performances that might reveal some things I would rather keep hidden. With that in mind therefore, I will say that for what this adaptation is trying to accomplish, I do feel that the work done by the kid actors in this was very much on-point.
All in all I must be honest with you dear reader: if you try to compare this slice of cinema to the first adaptation from 1989, I regret to tell you, but that is not something I would endorse trying. I mean don’t get me wrong there are some times where such comparisons are definitely warranted (looking at you 1998 Psycho as I write this). With this one however I feel that would be a moot point seeing as this one is definitely trying to be a much darker, bleaker, and in line with the tone of the original source material than the 1989 adaptation was going for (which is ironic seeing as Stephen King himself actually wrote the screenplay for that adaptation). Thus it may have its issues, but honestly I did enjoy the 2019 take on Pet Sematary a fair bit more than even I was initially anticipating. Sure the ending and some other changes to the source material might prove to be a bit divisive and there are a few other flaws scattered about throughout this slice of cinema’s 101-minute runtime. Even with those in play though, the work done behind the camera really does a great job at work with the thematic concepts at the undead heart of the film in making sure the whole affair is a welcome yet vital blend of doom and gloom and the cast in front of the camera all make us genuinely care about their respective characters whilst also making them completely relatable even as they permit their grief to let them engage in some of the most idiotic decisions I’ve ever seen. Suffice it to say that Pet Sematary “2019” might not be perfect, but you know something: maybe just maybe and contrary to what a certain man would have you believe sometimes dead is NOT better. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Pet Sematary “2019” a solid 3 out of 5.
