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Pet Sematary

(1989, Rated R, Horror, Starring Fred Gwynne, Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Stephen King shocker a grim, R-rated Goosebumps.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Most all the (living) characters here are decent people who think they're doing the right thing out of love. Nonetheless, their actions lead to slaughter and unleashed occult evil (the book was a lot better explaining their rationalizations for digging themselves in deeper and deeper). It's never directly explained why loved ones come back from the dead as vicious and murderous; the novel suggests that demons are possessing the corpses.

  • Violence:

    Bloody gashes and lacerations, ghastly head/face wounds on victims and zombies. Characters suffer cannibalistic attacks, being hit by cars, burning to death.

  • Sex:

    Just a reference to a cat spaying as "getting his nuts cut."

  • Language:

    The s-word, "hell," and SOB.

  • Consumerism:

    Car brand names. Of course, there's a Stephen King book tie-in, and the Ramones had a minor hit with the theme song.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Smoking and beer-drinking among adults.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Pet Sematary

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.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • 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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