Review of Pet Sematary (2019) by Davrosdaleks1 — 07 Apr 2019

The Pet Sematary remake is a fairly scary film, but what I wouldn't call a standout.

The frightening moments are effective. Directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer have a good eye for visuals, be it making the forests of Maine look haunting or more stylistic visuals such as the pet sematary. Yeah, the sematary is a little over-the-top in it's sinisterness, but it does stick with you.

Sadly, the cinematography doesn't match the quality of the visuals. Some transitions are choppy and the camera can be stagnant at the moment.

As for the story, it's just okay. The spooky moments are when it shines. The exposition, however, can be dull at moments. Though I understand the reason why: what makes the general story of Pet Sematary so popular is the human element and backstory. I give the writers credit for trying. The dull moments aren't helped any by leads Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz, who are both low-energy.

The movie deviates from the book and original film by having the daughter brought back to life instead of the son. The evil girl thing has been done before and this doesn't really bring anything new to the table. (Actress Jeté Laurence does do a good job of being creepy.) Still, I can see why it's easier to pull off an killer evil girl than a killer evil toddler visually-speaking.

Best actor unsurprisingly is John Lithgow as the friendly neighbor Jud Crandall. But, he never is an equal for the first film's Fred Gwynne who made the rustic harbinger of the forbidden semi-iconic.

Overall, the film is okay. I recommend this to horror fans, but you don't need to see it right away.