Pet Sematary poster

Pet Sematary

1989-04-21
N/A
6.6 (IMDB)
HorrorDramaFantasyThriller
en
Released
Languages:
  • English

Description:

After the Creed family's cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its burial in a mysterious nearby cemetery.

Reviews:

John Chard (6.5/10)

And the night when the cold wind blows, No one cares, nobody knows.

The Stephen King novel from which the screenplay was adapted very nearly didn’t see the light of day. It was actually written by King based on a real place and instances during a stay at a rented house. He was never quite happy with the tone of the book and only submitted it as a contractual obligation. Glad he did because it provides a very solid grounding for horror and deals with the very real horrors of overwhelming grief.

The film gets the tonal flows right, the family dynamic is neatly pitched in readiness for what is to come later, the house and the titular Pet Sematary of the title are eerie personified, and Fred Gwynne is on hand for a sage old characterisation. The potential for shattering horror is not fully realised, yet the makers deliver a good quota of scares and unease to make this a better than average King adaptation to screen. The use of the Ramones in the soundtrack is a good one, King loved them, they loved him, so much so they wrote the title track and named an album after it. 6.5/10

2014-12-29
Gimly (6/10)

Even if it wasn't any good, Pet Sematary's sort of a must watch given how heavily it's been referenced in the film and television industries since. But it is good, so there's that too.

Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.

2018-09-08
CinemaSerf (6/10)

The "Creed" family relocate to a rural town in Maine where the father - "Louis" (Dale Midkiff) is to be a local doctor. They don't get off to a great start after the beloved cat of daughter "Ellie" (Blaze Berdahl) gets squashed by a passing vehicle and so it is ceremoniously buried in an ancient graveyard populated by centuries-worth of other pre-loved animals. Their neighbours are very reticent to discuss this facility - it is rumoured to have oddly recuperative powers which to his shock and horror prove true when the moggy comes back - and with attitude too! The troubles for the young doctor only get worse when a real human tragedy occurs and he is faced with the ultimate dilemma... It's more of a cumulative story this - like many of Stephen KIng's stories. The plot builds by degree and is told here in a way that almost asks us what we might do differently from "Louis" even though we see, and can readily anticipate, the consequences of his actions. The horror here is not so much garish and scary, but human and almost voluntary - and that makes it a little more effective. There's no getting away from it, though. The acting is mediocre and the visual effects at times reminded me of an old episode of "Bagpuss". I am not now, nor ever have been a pet lover - so the underlying premiss of hysteria when the cat gets splatted also never really resonated with me either. Still, it is an eerie and solid story that challenges a lot of assumptions about love and rational behaviour and is still worth a watch.

2023-02-13
CertifiedHuman (4/10)

A completely botched adaptation. It's completely lifeless and truncated and seems like it's just missing tons of important scenes of lore and character development (which is all included in the book of course). It's odd, the film cuts Judd's wife from the book, but includes a much less consequential character to replace her, Missy Dandridge. The film just doesn't have time to really care about anyone, especially Missy. But the main problem with the movie is Dale Midkiff. He just sleepwalks his way through the entire movie, and it pretty much ruins it for me. Everyone else, especially Fred Gwynne and Denise Crosby, act circles around him.

2025-04-03
kevin2019 (5/10)

"Pet Sematary" boasts a very routine quality on every level and most of the time it seems as though everything connected with this film is strictly on autopilot. It is no wonder the films based upon Stephen King's fiction don't fare particularly well. It isn't because they are bad - well, at least in some cases - it has more to do with the fact that for some bizarre reason they just don't transfer well onto film. However, one of the bonuses here is Mary Lambert. She is a splendid director and she is able to give the odd twinge on your emotions when Gage tragically dies in such horrific circumstances. She also makes the extended game of cat and mouse through Jud Crandall's home - first with Jud, then with Louis's wife Rachel, and finally with Louis himself - very compelling and this segment is also enlivened by some of Stephen King's macabre brand of humour. However, "Pet Sematary" amply illustrates why Stephen King remains head and shoulders above other horror writers. His situations - who wouldn't be tempted to bring a loved one back to life if the opportunity ever presented itself? - and his characters are always realistic and this makes all the difference.

2025-04-04

Where to Watch:

Stream

Paramount Plus
Paramount+ Amazon Channel

Rent

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Plex

Buy

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home

Similar Movies:

Satanás - Profile of a Killer

Satanás - Profile of a Killer 7.151

Crime, Drama

2007-03-04

A Kind of Loving

A Kind of Loving 7

Drama, Romance

1962-04-12

Project: Valkyrie

Project: Valkyrie 7

Comedy, Horror

2002-05-16

Born to Kill

Born to Kill 6.707

Crime, Drama

1947-04-30

Mountains of the Moon

Mountains of the Moon 6.5

Adventure, Drama

1990-02-16

I'm Staying

I'm Staying 6.468

Comedy, Drama

2007-04-19

Scared Stiff

Scared Stiff 6.4

Music, Comedy

1953-04-27

Starring Maja

Starring Maja 6.3

Comedy, Drama

2009-09-11

Place Vendôme

Place Vendôme 6.287

Crime, Drama

1998-10-07

Smooth Talk

Smooth Talk 6.2

Drama, Thriller

1985-09-21

Everyone Else

Everyone Else 6.2

Drama, Romance

2009-03-26

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the Night Before Christmas 6.054

TV Movie, Comedy

2022-12-17

Bare Essence of Life

Bare Essence of Life 6

Drama, Comedy

2009-06-06

Los pasos perdidos

Los pasos perdidos 6

Drama

2001-08-09

Wasting Away

Wasting Away 5.458

Horror, Comedy

2007-10-16

Beyond the Door

Beyond the Door 5.2

Horror

1974-11-21

The Eighteenth Angel

The Eighteenth Angel 4.9

Horror, Mystery

1997-01-01

Mother's Red Dress

Mother's Red Dress 4.5

Drama, Romance

2011-09-18

Playhouse

Playhouse 2

Comedy, Horror

2003-11-14

La Cerca

La Cerca 0

Western, Drama

2005-05-04