Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s Pet Sematary remake has several things going against it. Firstly, it’s based on a Stephen King novel, whose books have struggled to find decent cinematic adaptations (though there are, of course, exceptions; IT: Chapter One, The Shining, and The Shawshank Redemption are each superb, and the latter two are regularly included in ‘Best of all time’ lists). Secondly, it’s the latest in a long line of Hollywood remakes of films that didn’t really need to be remade (looking at you, Disney). But somehow, Kölsch and Widmyer’s remake surpasses any expectations we may have had going into it – not only is it better than the original in every possible way, but it is a fantastically evil, brutally engrossing film in its own right.

Somehow, Kölsch and Widmyer’s remake surpasses any expectations we may have had going into it

The remake follows the same basic story as both the original novel and the 1989 adaptation; the Creed family move out into the country from the city to slow things down. Upon moving, however, the family discover a creepy cemetery in the woods behind their house, where residents of the nearby town have been burying their pets for years. When the family cat is killed by a truck on the perilous main road nearby, Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) is convinced by neighbour Jud (John Lithgow) to bury it in the grounds beyond the cemetery – the cat returns the next morning, but is noticeably not the same, and sets in motion a horrifying chain of events that will push Louis right to the edge of his own sanity.

The biggest question to ask of any horror film is: is it scary? Pet Sematary definitely is. The film’s biggest strength is its near-constant intensity; we open in medias res, after the events of the finale have gone down. An aerial shot clues us in to the scale of the devastation, while a tracking shot lets us know that something has gone very, very wrong at the house of the Creed family. After this, we backtrack, and the main narrative takes hold. Once things get going, the film is quick to ramp up the suspense; some gorgeous cinematography from Laurie Rose and Christopher Young’s dread-inducing score keep us firmly on the edge of our seats. Both combine together to create a superbly tense atmosphere that never lets up once things get rolling. It never feels schlocky, either, as the original film does on many occasions; everything feels visceral and real, and the film is all the better for it.

The entire finale is fantastically tense and wonderfully simple

The film’s biggest sequence is both haunting and brutal, though a large chunk of its impact is undoubtedly lost by the fact that it was put in the trailer! When will studios learn? I’ve written about this before, and it never ceases to be frustrating. The moment is clearly intended as a surprise – we can tell from the way it’s shot, the way that most of the sound is muted, allowing us to bathe in the dread of the moment, and the length of the period of realisation directly afterwards (as well as its being a divergent moment from King’s original novel) – but the fact that we’ve seen it in a trailer robs it of this effect. Thankfully, the film is powerful enough to surpass it.

The moment in which the characters realise what has happened (it would be an unnecessary spoiler to say which characters) is beautifully drawn out, coupled with some especially smart camera work, and is a surefire gut punch. While it doesn’t quite have the impact of something like, say, Hereditary, it’s certainly an emotional moment. The film’s final act is also superb. It again diverges from King’s book, but this only gives Kölsch and Widmyer more room to play, as they are able to explore the more prevalent character dynamics they’ve set up. The entire finale is fantastically tense and wonderfully simple, and builds to a gleefully evil but immensely satisfying conclusion that somehow left me grinning.

Before all of this, however, we’re given plenty of time to get to know the Creeds: Louis is a doctor, swapping out Boston’s ER for the campus of the nearby university in order to spend more time with his wife and kids. We see right from the off that he will always put his family first; his trust in Jud when the two of them bury Church the cat shows this, and his later actions, though justified enough by the presence of a supernatural being, feel entirely in character because of this. Clarke brings him to life fantastically, ensuring that we’re instantly on side with him, and proving that he deserves more roles in Hollywood. Rachel (Amy Seimetz) is a stay-at-home mum, largely occupied by toddler Gage (ever-adorable twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie), but plagued by demons of her own. As a child, Rachel had a troubled relationship with her seriously ill sister, a fact that actually feels relevant here in a way it does not in the original film, and also leads to a series of superb sequences of tension. Where at other times these sequences may feel clunky (in the original film, for example), Seimetz carries them perfectly. Jete Laurence plays eight-year-old Ellie, and is an absolute treasure.

In a sea of great performances from veteran actors, Laurence always manages to hold her own. This little girl is eleven years old, and still manages to put in a better all-round performance than the leads of most blockbusters – astounding. John Lithgow plays well-meaning neighbour Jud Crandall, the one to introduce Ellie to the titular cemetery, and Louis to the sour ground beyond it. While we may be wary of Jud to begin with, he becomes more and more likeable the more time we get to spend with him. In fact, that’s something that could be said about all the characters; each is perfectly likeable. The cast’s performances are so earnest that we can’t help but care for their characters as things inevitably end up going wrong – always the mark of a good horror movie.

[Pet Sematary’s] easily one of the best Stephen King adaptations we’ve seen in recent years

There are, however, a few niggles to be had. The script gets a little clunky at times, and there’s a frustrating over-reliance on jump scares before things properly get going – the latter is a particular shame, as Kölsch and Widmyer prove they have the ability to draw things out and make them even more horrifying, but seem to not have enough faith in themselves at times. There are also the various changes made from the book, which do work really well (I’d be tempted to say the changes make it better than King’s original story), but will doubtless annoy any die-hard King fans. But even despite these issues, Pet Sematary is a thoroughly evil delight. Scary, moving, and engaging, it’s easily one of the best Stephen King adaptations we’ve seen in recent years.

Verdict:

Who saw this coming? Hollywood’s latest remake is, uncharacteristically, hugely successful. Thanks to moving character work, astounding lead performances and some quality scares, it manages to be that rare remake that surpasses the original. Sometimes dead is better, but Pet Sematary is one we can be glad was resurrected.

8/10

Pet Sematary is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD.