Over the last several years, horror movies have seen a resurgence in the public eye. Series like The Conjuring films have proven to be both critical and commercial smashes at the box office. Other horror films, like Get Out and Us from Jordan Peele, have added a newfound sense of prestige to the genre. If you're a studio looking to make a movie that isn't a superhero film, horror is a pretty safe bet. It should come as no surprise then that many filmmakers are turning to Stephen King as a tried and true source for terrifying stories that the public loves. King has sold millions of copies of his novels and adaptations of his works have proven reliable box office draws for over 30 years. When I heard that a remake of Pet Sematary was releasing, I was excited to relive King's story once again.Like the novel it is based upon, this latest film iteration follows the story of the Creed family. Dr. Louis Creed(Jason Clarke) and his wife Rachel(Amy Seimetz have brought their two kids from the fast-paced life in Boston to the more relaxed town of Ludlow, Maine. Louis is excited to take on the role of the campus Doctor for the local university. He hopes that more stable hours will give him more time to spend with his family on their new rural home. Directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer interrupt the idyllic setting with the jolt of a large tanker truck blasting along the road next to the Creed home. As the family eagerly brushes off the interruption of the truck in favor of exploring their new home, the audience is filled with the dread of the inevitable events to come.
Things immediately don't go as planned when Louis is unable to save a student from a gruesome accident. He's haunted by this death, seeing the deceased student in his dreams. Through a flashback that is one of the more terrifying moments in the film, we see how Rachel's childhood family trauma has scarred her and left her unwilling to discuss the topic of death. When the Creed's cat is killed by one of those fast-moving tankers, Louis is determined to keep the death a secret from his daughter. He turns to his elderly neighbor Jud, played here by an excellent John Lithgow, to dispose of the corpse. Jud leads Louis beyond the borders of the old Pet Sematary that lies on their property to the far off remains of an ancient burial ground. Little do they know that this simple task dooms their fate to be full of unimaginable horrors.
While much of this new Pet Sematary is quite faithful to both King's novel and the original film adaptation, it struggles to breathe new life into the story. As I sat watching, I found myself feeling as if the narrative was dragging while simultaneously skipping past important plot points. It was as if the filmmakers were so eager to get to the "spooky" parts that they didn't give enough time for their characters to reflect on all the crazy stuff that had just happened. Tethered by a script that doesn't give them room to soar, the actors weren't able to elevate their characters into believable and empathetic people. When some of them inevitably came back as undead versions of themselves, it was hard to differentiate between the two. In the end, Pet Sematary is one of those remakes that simply doesn't have a good reason to exist. While I didn't hate it, I can't say that I really enjoyed it either. It was an exercise in redundancy. Before filmmakers rush to readapt any other King stories, maybe they should remember that "sometimes dead is better."
While I'm a wuss about horror flicks, I can appreciate your disappointment in the lack of character development so there is an actual story to engage with instead of only a string of shocking scenes. I always wonder why remakes are chosen when an author like this has books that haven't been adapted yet and would be good.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking too. There are so many King novels just waiting to be made into movies.
DeleteThey are really never as good as the books. Appreciate the review as I was contemplating going to see this. I might wait for it on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteI liked the original movie version well enough, but this one was just redundant. I'd recommend waiting for it to stream somewhere.
DeleteI don't think I'll ever watch this, the first movie creeped me out enough XD
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely creepy!
DeleteI used to read Stephen King like crazy back in the day, and any movie associated with his books, which of course include The Shining and Pet Sematary. Fast forward to today, and horror movies I pass on quickly.(lol) The exceptions were a Quiet Place, which I loved because of the actors, and The Bird Box with Sandra Bullock. I have to give some major kudos to King for continuing to crank out thrillers even after all these years, and to have one done as a remake is pretty cool. Still, I don't think I'll watch this one. As always, I totally love your review! Happy National Scrabble Day and Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteI loved both A Quiet Place and Bird Box. I won't blame you for skipping out on this one!
DeleteGreat review, Ethan! I read the book many, many years ago and saw the original adaptation. Overall, it sounds like this latest remake just wasn't needed and didn't bring anything new to the table.
ReplyDeleteIt was an exercise in redundancy. I can't help but think that if the original movie never existed, I would have gotten more enjoyment out of the remake.
DeleteOh no, I'm sorry this wasn't as good as you'd hoped -- and with such a good cast too! (says she who is a wuss like you wouldn't believe with horror movies)
ReplyDeleteThis one isn't even that scary lol!
DeleteI haven't seen this - or the original - but I'm sorry you didn't feel it was done that well. That's always a bummer, especially with remakes.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
It was just such an unneeded remake.
DeleteI'm not one for horror, but I have heard mixed things about this one.
ReplyDeleteIt was very mixed at best.
DeleteI was excited to see this movie, and still a bit curious, but usually books like this are a lot better :)
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoyed the book or old movie, it is still worth a watch. Just lower your expectations a bit.
DeleteI was just doing a top ten list of my favorite horror films for a blog tour. I had included a Stephen King adaptation (Salem's Lot, but the original is not very scary by today's standards). I never saw this version of Pet Sematary, but the original scared the pants off me. I think adapting a book is tough, because material needs to be condensed, otherwise the film would be hours and hours long. The challenge is keeping the spirit/essence of the book, while trimming the details.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I thought the recent version of IT hit the mark. This one, not so much.
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