best stephen king movie
Pet Sematary
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Stephen King shocker a grim, R-rated Goosebumps.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–16
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Pet Sematary was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
Parents need to know that this movie plays on worst fears and grief over death, of both pets and children. Toddlers, animals, and adults get killed violently -- via murder, suicide, and a traffic accident. There is grotesque imagery in the contorted physiognomy of a victim of spinal meningitis; her illness makes her monstrous and vile, which some critics felt was over-the-line cruel. Kids may be tempted by the sequel, Pet Sematary 2; it's decidedly inferior and adds tacky nudity and tastelessness this one avoids.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the characters' motivations. Should a grieving person try to bring a loved one back, at any cost? A reading of the novel provides more discussion material on this. Does a horror movie format deal with this difficult topic effectively? Why or why not?
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More on Pet Sematary
What’s the Story?
Young doctor Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) moves with his family to rural Maine, ominously near a dangerous, truck-traveled highway. After his daughter's beloved tomcat is killed in a hit-and-run, an elderly neighbor informs Louis of an incredible local secret. Hidden near the town's pet cemetery lies an ancient Indian burial ground with paranormal powers; the deadburied in its stony soil actually come back to life. Even with warnings from the ghost of one of his patients, Louis resurrects the cat -- but the once-friendly feline is hostile and menacing. Despite this disappointing result, another wrenching family tragedy leads the tormented Louis back to the burial ground. Again and again.
Is It Any Good?
This isn't the worst adaptation of a Stephen King book ever made, but considering how bad others are that isn't a compliment you'd want for your tombstone. Without the writer's sympathetic, explanatory prose filling in the back story and motivations (and Stephen King as a scriptwriter has never been as strong as Stephen King the novelist), the plotline plods from one rather cheap shock to another, some of them just arbitrary nastiness that have little to do with anything (like a sickly woman suddenly deciding to hang herself).
As a basic, icky, unvarnished scare show PET SEMATARY renders some of the creepiness effectively in Halloween-spookhouse fashion. The angle about undead pets and kids has something of the Goosebumps vibe, and sex and nudity are absent. You can't say any of that about the vile sequel Pet Sematary 2, which carries over none of the characters from this feature, just the burial ground.
Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Director: Mary Lambert
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: 4/28/1989, DVD release: 9/26/2006
MPAA Rating: R
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: 4/28/1989, DVD release: 9/26/2006
MPAA Rating: R
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Most Recent Reviews
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Kids ages: 7
I rate this title on for age 4 and give it- My highlights are:
- Good role models
the bobo
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
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