By Nikki Jones

So just like every other teenager growing up in the 80’s (well…those of us with a love for things that go bump in the night), I was obsessed with Stephen King. My copy of Skeleton Crew was falling apart, as it was my favorite book when I was 13…but that’s another opinion piece for another day. Pet Sematary was a close second though, and I remember being stupid excited for the film. I went to see the film on the big screen with 2 of my friends. Horror movies were not particularly all of the rage back in 1989 like they are today and I distinctly remember that we had the theatre to ourselves and I also remember walking out disappointed when it was over. Maybe I was just a “too cool for school teenager” but I felt like the movie cheesed up one of my favorite books (the only plus was hearing The Ramones). As I have grown older though, I have acquired an appreciation for it…call it nostalgia, I guess.

Flash forward 30 years and I was BACK in the theatre for Warner Brothers Pictures 2019 remake of Pet Sematary directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer and stupid excited yet again. This viewing was different because I went in with more of an open mind, five years of living in Maine under my belt, (which is important to note as most if not all Stephen King’s work takes place in Maine) and a cat that looks just like Church in this adaptation. Years ago, I lived in a small town in Northern Maine with all these preconceived notions and paranoia about the townspeople, breaking down on a desolate road in the middle of the night and Cemetaries. As the film opened, my senses were heightened and I swear that I smelled that familiar scent of the oak and birch trees that surrounded our house in Maine and felt the anxiety that I felt living by a two-lane highway. There is definitely a rhyme and a reason as to why his stories take place there as that state has an element of creepiness (and I say that fondly).

The addition of the children in animal masks in procession to bury their beloved pets in the woods, upped the CREEPY factor of the film right off the bat! I feel that the actors were well chosen and a better fit for character development…not that I didn’t appreciate Fred Gwynne in the first adaptation as Jud Crandall (I mean…he will always be Herman Munster and that’s that) and a ridiculously cute Gage (a blonde Chucky…in my opinion), I feel that Jud Crandall (played by John Lithgow)was on point this time as the resident “Mainer” neighbor and the plot change involving Ellie (Jete´ Laurence) changed the dynamic a little but was still good for the overall story, and rumor has it that THE Stephen King approved the plot change.

Rachel’s (Amy Seimetz) backstory with her sister was more developed in this adaptation, therefore giving more insight into her childhood trauma (her sister gave me the heebie jeebies). Louis Creed’s (Jason Clark) grief for the loss of his child and lengths he will go to make his family whole again will have you contemplating whether you would choose the SAME path long after you leave the theatre. As far as Church the cat goes…I can’t (shaking my head vigorously). My cat looks and acts like the resurrected Church and he is VERY much alive…and when I wake up in the middle of the night now and see him standing on my bed…I rock myself in the fetal position and gently weep for my mom.

I hope that I didn’t give too much away as I really enjoyed this film and was creeped out throughout…and although I am an eternal teenager the “too cool for school” Nikki is no longer…oh! and Pet Sematary is only to be sung by The Ramones…PERIOD.

“Pet Semetary” Review

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