MOVIE REPORT CARD: PET SEMATARY

4/5/19
Title: Pet Sematary
Directors: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer
Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jete' Laurence, Obssa Ahmed

GRADES

ACTING: 75
DIRECTING: 75
SCREENPLAY: 70
EDITING: 75
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 85
SOUNDTRACK: 80

FINAL: 77/C+

COMMENTS

A little bit of history. I first read Pet Sematary when I was nine years old. It was the first "adult" book I ever read. It fucking terrified the ever loving shit out of me. I was hooked on Stephen King from then on, and I went on a King reading binge for many years after that. Really, there has been no book since my first, that has wrecked me as badly as Pet Sematary. I was really pulling for this. We are kind of in the middle of a King renaissance, when it comes to adapting his horror. Stephen King, is very hard to translate. Only recently, have people really been able to crack that code. Unfortunately, Pet Sematary kind of falls short. I was totally cool with the "switch" that was revealed in the trailer. However, I think the film kind of went a little overboard when it comes to the liberties it takes. The ending to this film, and the sidelining of Jud Crandall as little more than a glorified stereotype, is going to piss off A LOT of people. I'm still not sure if I like ALL the changes, or absolutely hate them. I did enjoy a lot of the film though. There is some very effective sequences, and the titular place of burial, is done really well. The actors are mostly fine. John Lithgow is probably the standout here. The little girl who plays Ellie, while I found kind of annoying alive, is actually really, really, creepy as dead Ellie. And the cat does a great job. Pet Sematary is just a mixed bag overall. While some of the liberties it takes are fine, others leave you scratching your head, and it totally misses the point for the sake of just being creepy. I do think there is just enough to warrant a watch. It's better than the original, but that's not saying much.