Sometimes Dead Is Better - Pet Sematary
When people hear word of a remake, reactions tend to involve groans and sighs. With so many stories left to be told, why spend silver screen resources retelling the already familiar. Such is the question with Pet Sematary, the second adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. It’s not so much that it is bad, though it is, it’s that it has so little to say that I am left wondering why this exists. In this new wave of well-crafted horror, Pet Sematary looks dated and irrelevant—relying exclusively on played horror tropes instead of reviving them with fresh ideas. And it doesn’t help that it is a bore through and through.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The film follows the Creed family as they relocate from Boston to small-town Ludlow, Maine. Louis Creed (played by Jason Clarke) is an ER doctor who wants to get his family away from the big city and the problems that come with it. When they arrive, they meet Judd (played by John Lithgow), who gives them the rundown of the area and explains the pet cemetery that is located on their property. When everyone in the family starts to have visions and nightmares, they have second thoughts about their new home.
When Church, the family cat, dies, Judd shows Louis a way to bring the cat back to life. Though burying the cat in land beyond the pet cemetery brought it back, it was never the same. It attacked family members and ultimately had to be removed from the house.
When Ellie, their young daughter is tragically killed, Louis ignores the warning signs and decides to repeat the process to bring her back as well. But as Judd says, “they don’t come back the same.” Ellie attacks and carnage ensues.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Logical inconsistencies abound, but this is horror, so that is to be expected. What’s not to be expected, however, is that there is nothing in the film’s 101-minute runtime that can rightfully be described as terrifying. There are jump scares scattered throughout—relying on sound mixing rather than storytelling. This is a weakness. Even the added twist versus the original, that Ellie is, on some level, aware that she is dead, lands with a thud.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Part of the reason the movie is such a lackluster affair is that the cast leaves so much to be desired. John Lithgow is turning in solid work, but Clarke and Co. are giving uniformly forgettable performances. Everyone is so bland that there is nothing to grab on to as you cascade down the walls of this empty shaft. The soulless affair is all told in about the most cookie cutter way imaginable. There is no vision here—only the bastardized crumbs of King’s legendary frights. Sometimes dead is better and that’s what this franchise should have remained.
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