Pet Sematary (1989) Review – A Classic Melancholic Monkey’s Paw Tale

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Pet Sematary from 1989.

Careful what you wish for!

Pet Sematary is a “Monkey’s Paw” tale with a central theme of be careful what you wish for. Louis Creed, played by Dale Midkiff, and his wife Rachel, played by Denise Crosby, move out to the country for a new job. They take with them their kids and the family cat Church.

“Pet Sematary is a Monkey’s Paw tale with a central theme of be careful what you wish for. It’s cheesy 80s silliness, but it is weirdly enjoyable and grounded in a relatable scenario.”

Only a short time after moving in, Church is hit and killed on the nearby highway. Louis informs the neighbour Jud, played fantastically by Fred Gwynne, of what happened and how his kids will be devastated. Jud takes Louis to a local pet cemetery and instructs Louis to bury the cat there. Jud did the same thing with his dog when he was a kid. Though the dog came back different, he didn’t have to deal with the grief of losing him. The next day Church returns to the house alive, dirty, and seemingly changed. This is just the start of the carnage caused by the pet sematary.

The story is ultra simple and very familiar. It’s a classic case of “be careful what you wish for”. Church’s transformation from beloved family feline to scratchy little bastard acts as a little horror hint at what is about to come. What goes into the ground at that cemetery comes out different. Jud warns Louis about that which begs the question why did he tell him in the first place? A few more logic leaps later and Louis is going to find himself in an unimaginable fight for his life. It’s cheesy 80s silliness but it’s weirdly enjoyable. With that being said, though…

Aging problems

Watching movies from the 80s and early 90s, as a child, you remember the impact they had on you. Whether it was A Nightmare on Elm Street, the It miniseries, Poltergeist, or The Evil Dead; they all seemed so scary. My fragile mind was legitimately tormented by Pennywise. I vividly recall catching the first part of It, as a child, and being blown away by how malicious and cruel Pennywise seemed.

Nowadays, against a backdrop of modern, realistic horror, grounded in believable situations, many of these films don’t hold up. Pet Sematary shares some of these issues but I believe it has actually held up better than others. The reason it works is because the story is grounded in grief. The events that impact Louis lead him to a scenario that’s utterly relatable. Most people would do the same thing he does given the situation. He might be the person who brings about the carnage but you are never left in any doubt as to why.

Sure, it’s not particularly scary by today’s standards but it’s hard not to be charmed by its approach to spooking the viewer. The concept itself is pretty terrifying because many of us would do exactly what Louis would do and have to deal with the same consequences. There are still some scenes which are pretty hard hitting, too.

“The reason it works is because the story is grounded in grief. The events that impact Louis lead him to a scenario that’s utterly relatable. Most people would do the same thing he does.”

I can’t really allude to them due to spoilers but a few moments are fairly full on and will likely make a few viewers feel uncomfortable. Pet Sematary, after all, is dealing with some heavy tragedy and it puts that across in a fairly visceral way. There is some fantastic gore if you are a fan of that and some very nice practical effects.

Acting and set design really stand out

Acting is still decent, for the most part. Louis is believable and his relationship with Rachel seems natural. You never feel as though it is two strangers talking. The kids do a really good job. Jud, despite being a fantastic character, may divide a few people. He is the closest this movie comes to a caricature. Fred Gwynne was simply fantastic, however, and it’s hard not to be charmed by his performance.

Set design is really good. The pet cemetery is suitably creepy and everything feels like part of a shared Stephen King universe. This is a credit to the director, Mary Lambert, of course, as most Stephen King movies were developed by separate groups. You could easily believe that Derry is a few miles up the road.

Practical special effects are generally great. There are a few exceptions to this but this was a golden era of makeup and prosthetics. It’s hard not to admire it with all the dog shit CG around at the moment. There are actually some very graphic injury scenes that might turn your stomach a little bit.

There is one scene in the movie involving a cat and an injection. Apparently this scene was performed under vet supervision and no animals were harmed. I wanted to point it out as I know a lot of animal lovers, me included, prefer to avoid scenes like this. I think this scene could have been avoided and the risk was far too great but it is in there. At least no animals were harmed.

Some not so good bits

There is some of that trademark 80s campiness in here. It was almost as if you couldn’t make a horror movie without it back then. I grew up on this so didn’t notice at the time as it was everywhere. Compared to today’s stuff, however, it stands out a lot.

“Pet Sematary is a classic 80s horror movie. Perhaps not as scary as it was 30 years ago, it is still a frightening concept with enough hard-hitting scenes and gore to keep fans thrilled.”

Close up, lingering, shots on the faces of characters with wildly exaggerated facial expressions. Cameras slowly panning out as a character reacts to an event. Awkward scenes featuring a bed ridden, heavily made up, sister. Wise cracks from characters. It is all very 80s. In all fairness, however, the movie as a whole is nowhere near as guilty of this as a lot of 80s films.

There are some things in Pet Sematary that don’t make an awful lot of sense. Why Jud introduces Louis to the Pet Sematary in the first place is a big one. There are a few other head-scratching decisions here and there as well. Many of these decisions are as a consequence of a grief riddled mind so somewhat understandable. But much of it is trademark Stephen King character quirkiness.

Despite these issues, Pet Sematary is just a ton of fun. It’s good old fashioned 80s horror with a well structured story and characters with, generally, understandable motivation.

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A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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