Movie Review: Pet Sematary

A Horrifying Remake with a Brutal Ending

Pet Sematary Movie Poster(photo courtesy of IMDB)

Pet Sematary Movie Poster(photo courtesy of IMDB)

Wayne Chan, Editor-in-Chief

Disclaimer: This article reveals twists and important details integral to the plot.

Pet Sematary was one of the most terrifying movies I have ever watched. However, despite its overtly intricate plot, the storyline was not uniquely interesting.

This particular film is a remake of the same story by Stephen King of the original Pet Sematary, which was released in 1989. Like all Stephen King horror movies, another example being It, is not simply terrifying, but they contain a psychological element to them that makes the horror grotesque and bizarre. Ryan Lowery(12) called the movie “sinister” and “vexing.”

This bizarre, psychological horrors woven throughout the story, while making the film one of the most disturbing movies of its genre, were not very integral to the plot. For example, the mother’s history with her sister was not necessary for the progression of the story; however, in order to incorporate misshapen sister and her potential for a more disturbing experience, her character was uncomfortably applied to the story. The people who wore strange masks in the forest and the father’s hallucinations of the young deceased patient during the beginning of the film also added fear without meaningfully contributing to the storyline of the film. AJ Song(12) felt that the addition of “the sister did not fit in with the overarching storyline.”

Other than the uncomfortable terrors inorganically blended throughout the story, the film was still an amazing film that proved to be incredibly horrifying despite a rather predictable plot. Overall, the movie was an exhilarating two hours fit for anyone seeking for a mindless thrill. Pet Sematary was honestly one of the most terrifying movies I have ever watched, far surpassing other famous films of the genre such as Insidious or The Conjuring. Rishi Kheni(12) concurs that “Pet Sematary was scarier than most horror films.” The movie is not cleverly twisted with its plot or extravagant in build up, but it is two hours of well-crafted fright.