Pet Semetary (2019) Review

I finally got around to watching "Pet Sematary" after picking it up on 4k during Black Friday at Walmart. I haven't read the book, however, I have seen the original. Though it's better than the 1989 original, I wasn't crazy about the film.

Starting out with my positives, my favorite part of the film is the set design. I absolutely love the look of the Pet Sematary. Whether it's the design of all of the crosses, the look of the swamp, or the masks that are seen briefly in the beginning, everything is on point. The acting is also pretty solid in the film. Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz were good as Louis and Rachel, respectively. Though Louis' character wasn't very interesting, I think Clarke did a great job with what he had. Seimetz's character, Rachel, had the most character development/backstory. She was definitely the best-developed character in this screenplay. John Lithgow, while not as iconic as Fred Gwynne, was also solid in the film as Judd. The cinematography was also solid throughout the film. There was some great shot composition. Though I had problems with Rachel's sister, Zelda, there was one great scare involving her and a mirror.

My biggest negative would be the pacing. The film's pacing, in general, felt off. The 3rd act, in particular, felt extremely rushed. By the time you realize that the film's about to wrap up, you feel that there's much more that could have been explored. This is one of the few films that I feel could have benefited from a much longer run time. Zelda was also handled poorly in this film. She is shown way too much. Seriously, it felt as if she was shown every 15 minutes. I understand she is a major part of Rachel's character development. However, there's no need to beat the audience over the head with her existence. My final negative would be the jump-scares; there were far too many of them. It still baffles me that so many horror directors continuously abuse jump-scares. Loud noises aren't scary.

In conclusion "Pet Sematary" had redeeming qualities, mainly the set design and overall look. However, the rushed plot and heavy-handedness of the jump-scares really brought down my enjoyment of the latest Stephen King adaption.

6/10