Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s new adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, written by Jeff Buhler, plays fast and loose with King’s core material.
Thirty years ago, Mary Lambert brought us her film version of Stephen King’s 1983 novel, capturing the essence of King’s material on screen for the first time in an adaptation that remains a horror genre classic. Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s new adaptation, written by Jeff Buhler, plays fast and loose with Stephen King’s core material, creating a film that tries too hard to offer something different from the 1989 vision of Lambert.
For those who have never seen the original film or read the book, this version of Pet Sematary offers a standard Hollywood horror that will provide ample jump scares. However, unlike 2017’s IT, it bears little resemblance to King’s original vision, deviating wildly and ultimately losing the horror of King’s work.
Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Rachel (Amy Seimetz), have just moved from Boston to the rural town of Ludlow, Maine. There, they are searching for a more peaceful life with their two children, Ellie and Gage, and Ludlow initially seems to tick every box. However, while exploring their new home, Ellie notices a procession of children in animal masks wheeling a dead dog to a Pet Sematary in the woods behind their house. As she follows the local kids, Ellie bumps into their neighbour Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), who explains the importance of the local Pet Sematary. However, when Jud talks to her dad, he also explains the dark barriers that lie beyond.
Part of the problem in this loose adaptation comes from the casting; Jason Clarke is unemotional, stilted and never conflicted in his views, providing us with a character it’s almost impossible to relate to. Meanwhile, Seimetz’s Rachel adds little to the overarching narrative. Lithgow carries the movie, yet he is relegated to a mere passenger in the narrative changes. These problems combine to create a series of one-dimensional characters offering little depth.
However, visually, Pet Sematary works well, improving on Lambert’s film by seamlessly integrating Maine’s beauty with classic Gothic horror. The sound design is equally impressive, using the vast sound field to create moments of exquisite tension and fear. However, the result is a lacklustre remake, with a finale that takes us down a new and unnecessary track.
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