The closing night film of SXSW Film 2019, Pet Sematary is an adaptation of the classic 1983 novel from Stephen King (and the first film since the 1989 Mary Lambert film), a jumpy horror about creepy cats, creepy burial grounds, and making desperate decisions against your better judgement.
Moving to rural Maine from their city life in Boston, Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and two children Ellie (Jeté Laurence) and Gage (Hugo & Lucas Lavoie) struggle to adapt to the quiet life. After discovering a mysterious burial ground deep in the woods on their land, when neighbour Jud (John Lithgow) tells the Creeds about old folklore in the town, Louis attempts to right a few wrongs with a series of decisions that are only ever heading for disaster.
With directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer making a few clever deviations from the book, the filmmakers do make the film their own with regard to the source material, but it can’t stop Pet Sematary falling in amongst the crowd as a high concept horror that struggles to scratch beneath the surface.
Though the film still creates a nervy tone – and you’ll definitely be on the edge of your seat – Pet Sematary is all too reliant on jump scares. Rather than exploring some of the more interesting subjects of death and loss, its hard to see the deeper themes as anything but under-baked.
While the actors (especially the young cast) are superb, Rachel is given a backstory that only ever feels inconsequential. John Lithgow as the friendly yet mysterious neighbour is excellent but on the whole the film is missing something to elevate it from the crowd, which isdisappointing considering the ripe material from which it was create.
As a horror Pet Sematary is e ffective, but it should have been more affecting. It’s something of a missed opportunity that will still entertain for 101 minutes; it is a rush, just don’t expect too much more.