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Pet Sematary (R, 1989)

common sense media says

Stephen King shocker a grim, R-rated Goosebumps.

parents & educators say
See all 11 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

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.

Positive 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.
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More on Pet Sematary

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
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?

What's the story?

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?

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 themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Mary Lambert
Cast: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne
Genre: Horror
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: April 28, 1989
DVD release: September 26, 2006
MPAA Rating: R
This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

davyborn
teen, 17 years old
16
 
Grisly and dull. Not for kids.
Pet Semetary, like many people probably know, is based off a Stephen King Novel, and a very famous on at that. Now, in my opinion, I think that that the book is far superior than the movie, as the case often is. Also, it is a fairly intense movie, and is not appropriate for younger teens because of frequent bloody violence involving animals, children and more, frequent casual drinking and smoking, and infrequent profanity including at least 1 F-word. It just isn't nearly as well made as the book, but surprisingly it still manages to conjure up a decent amount of scares, all its own.
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cheese-process
teen, 15 years old
13
 
Great Stephen King movie!
Good movie, follows the book very well, and is really scary!
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Softballlover
teen, 14 years old
13
 
Love....
I LOVED IT!
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Ozzy1015
teen, 15 years old
12
 
Perfect for teens
Well i wouldnt recomend it to kids under 13 because of zelda i think its a great movie but i didnt see it all cus of zelda.
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hidude50968
parent of and 10 , 13 , 14 , 17 year old
14
 
Not appropiate 13 and under, iffy for 14, appropiate for 16 or 17.
Pretty violent.
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TeenHorrorReviewer
teen, 14 years old
12
 
Grim response to King's excellent novel.
"Pet Sematary" is extremely grim. It has depressing topics such, suicide, grief of pets and loved ones. I love the novel, but I was extremely shocked at some of disturbing images displayed in the movie. It is not a movie for kids. It creates goosebumps, and possibly some nightmares. Please, exercise my review seriously. My Suggested MPAA Rating, R: Disturbing images/violence, thematic material, and language
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MissDairy
teen, 14 years old
14
 
Book is better...
I was 12 when I read this... It was a bit scary. I stupidly finished it late at night, it was 1 in the morning. The movie isn't as good.... But the book is really good :) Book is definitely better. But now I will honestly say it has scared me into not burrying any pet.
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the bobo
parent of 9 year old
4
 
the bobo
best stephen king movie
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homealonefan123
teen, 15 years old
10
 
i love this movie
awesome movie. awesome stephen king work.
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~smileyfacelove23
teen, 15 years old
2
 
WHOO
It is very hilarious! i laughed through the whole thing! Very funny! good for children!
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Mizmol
kid, 10 years old
15
 
Eh...
Pet Sematary seems like a good movie if you've read the books, but comes out as a disappointment. It doesn't follow the story-line all too well and had many parts that didn't fit in with the book. Definitely some violence that younger children can't handle. There is also slight profanity and when it is used it can be strong. Overall though, this was an okay movie but I'd expect better when based off one of King's novels.
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