Review of Pet Sematary (1989) by Timothy S — 08 Sep 2012

In the case of the much anticipated film adaptation of "Pet Sematary", author Stephen King is his own worst enemy. He wrote the screenplay himself and has the primary responsibility for the film's failure to do justice to his novel. The movie is much more shallow and makes several fatal mistakes along the way.

First off, the casting is horrible, especially the lead. Dale Midkiff seems to be on some serious mood altering medication here, and from grief to terror to warmth, it's impossible to make a distinction between any of his emotions. Secondly, while the Ramones were a great band, the use of their music in this is indelicate to the subject matter. The first time it's heard, in the scene where the truck is barreling down the highway and everyone knows what's about to happen, it just feels wrong. The same can be said over the end credits, when the audience needs time to ruminate over the ending.

That ending in the novel is incredibly potent, one of the best things King has ever written. Here, it disintegrates into a creepy haunted house movie with a lot of unnecessary gore and even a bizarre attempt at humor when the boy utters "Not Fair" after his father kills him a second time.

The deepness and complexity of the novel is clearly lost watching Midkiff ridiculously struggle with a ten pound infant. The film is also ludicrously potentous, with enough silly foreshadowing for two movies. The novel is one of the author's best works, but "Pet Sematary" the film is a missed opportunity. It's not dark enough to convey the true horror that the book accomplished all too easily.