Pet Sematary (1989)

Director: Mary Lambert

Starring: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne

After tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead.

I wonder how many people actually notice the intentional misspelling of ‘Sematary’. The reason, I believe, is because the cemetery is a sacred placed where children bury their beloved pets, and this is the way kids would spell cemetery (sematary).

Luckily for me (I guess) I don’t read books, so I can’t compare the film to the book. So many people hate a movie because it differs too much from the book they so love. I don’t have that problem.

‘Pet Sematary’ starts off with a good idea. The film also has several really creepy moments and effects. After a tragedy, a father (well played by Dale Midkiff) does what any father in his position would either consider, or – in this case – be daring enough to do.

Initially captivating with compelling characters, the film soon turns very weird very quickly. I mean, really weird! This is one of the rare instances where I prefer the remake (2019’s Pet Sematary), because it doesn’t get quite as weird as this. This movie also has a dissatisfying ending. As much as I enjoyed the first and second act, the final act completely ruins it (for me).

‘Pet Sematary’ earned $57.4 million on an $11.5 million budget.

Would I watch it again? No, I’d rather watch the remake.