{"id":5318,"date":"2019-03-18T18:54:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T18:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/?p=5318"},"modified":"2019-04-19T22:06:54","modified_gmt":"2019-04-19T22:06:54","slug":"pet-sematary-review-three-reasons-to-see-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/pet-sematary-review\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Pet Sematary&#8217; Review: Three Reasons To See It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As a \u201cwise\u201d Ludlow, Maine resident once assured, \u201csometimes dead is better\u201d &#8211; but such isn\u2019t the case for\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kevin K\u00f6lsch<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dennis\u00a0Widmyer\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/pet-sematary\/263528\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0remake. The duo behind 2014\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Starry Eyes<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and 2016\u2019s \u201cValentines\u00a0Day\u201d\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Holidays<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0segment take a stab at adapting Stephen King\u2019s cautionary reanimation narrative, translating to film the Creed family\u2019s grief-stricken undead nightmare with debilitating darkness. It\u2019s a known tale, but luckily, K\u00f6lsch and\u00a0Widmyer\u00a0don\u2019t stick to standard remake formulas. As good filmmakers do, these orchestrators of terrifying parental unrest &#8211; with the help of Jeff Buhler\u2019s screenplay &#8211; take liberties to ensure 2019\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is\u00a0distinctly\u00a0their own<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Tweaks that, in my humble opinion, elevate the film\u2019s most horrific elements.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u_eqScaFRBs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Paramount Pictures is releasing this slice of zombified country living in just a few weeks on April 5th, so you won\u2019t have to wait long to bear witness for yourself. In the meantime, here are three reasons to see\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0when it hits theaters.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">**Suffice it to say, minimal spoilers will follow from this point on (but only what\u2019s appeared in trailers).**<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Jet\u00e9 Laurence Is A Knee-High Demon As Ellie Creed<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As you might recall from 1989\u2019s original feature adaptation, the Creed family\u2019s pint-sized toddler Gage (this time portrayed by twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie) serves as the film\u2019s pint-sized antagonist. To shake things up, Buhler\u2019s 2019 script opts to off the older Creed child in daughter Ellie (Jet\u00e9\u00a0Laurence). Some might cry foul on nostalgia-flipping, but allowing Ellie to rise from the grave permits the film a more menacing villain. Where Gage stalked and hunted based on preconceived unbelievability suggesting a (reanimated) child with his level of innocence couldn\u2019t commit vile crimes, Ellie is more in control. She showcases even more understanding of her actions and relishes in morbid objectives. Meaner, nastier, and played with such malicious yet tempered rage.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The above, without doubt, is thanks to\u00a0Jet\u00e9\u00a0Laurence\u2019s turn as Ellie Gage. Makeup work staples her head and reflects rigor mortis colorization to mimic a walking cadaver, but her performance is very much alive. A bit\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Children of the Corn<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0as she maintains her facade of guilelessness, but never a full rebirth of her once living self. After Louis buries Ellie\u2019s dead body and she rises once again, we\u2019re treated to a sinister presence that deeply disturbs over and over again. As she dons a procession animal mask, threatening Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) at\u00a0scalpel-point, or twirling like a ballerina and smashing decorations in the Creed\u2019s hideaway home, Laurence is the definition of \u201ccreepy kiddo horror\u201d in\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and a damn fine performer to boot.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. If You Want Blood (And Darkness), You Got It<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1539107557\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/archive\/1539107557049_263528_cops_14.jpg\" width=\"1439\" height=\"960\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">K\u00f6lsch and\u00a0Widmyer\u00a0kick the cemetery gates open and let the ghouls take control with devastating tonal voracity. Early, often, and throughout,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0submerges cinematography in the blackest nights and the utmost sensation of constricting dread. Even during daytime brightness, we\u2019re subjected to consistent dangers &#8211; careless truckers whizzing past the Creed\u2019s home well over speed limits &#8211; while post-bedtime excursions with Jud Crandall flow foggy mists over boggy marshlands. Lighting alone doesn\u2019t spell instant fear, but K\u00f6lsch and\u00a0Widmyer\u00a0are confident in their aesthetic\u00a0conjurings. Filmmakers with vision and command, crafting their deepest, deliciously destructive horror fantasies on screen with surreal imagination.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Look no further than the film\u2019s first few minutes, bathed entirely in sunlight, as a memorial parade wheels into the \u201csematary\u201d &#8211; children in homemade masks tapping drums in somber rhythm. Effective and eerie off the bat, and it only gets worse (a.k.a. better). Rachel\u2019s (Amy\u00a0Seimetz) flashbacks to sister Zelda (Alyssa Brooke Levine) &#8211; bedridden by protruding spinal deformations like some rigid hunchback &#8211; recreate a small child\u2019s paralyzed reaction at the sight, just as Louis\u2019 (Jason Clarke) interaction with a badly mangled Victor Pascal (Obssa\u00a0Ahmed) emphasizes visceral brutality.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a02019 isn\u2019t to be underestimated &#8211; K\u00f6lsch and\u00a0Widmyer\u00a0are are responsible for a more beastly Native American\/Wendigo-tinted horror story that makes the 1989 version seem defanged in comparison.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Reimagines The Story While Staying Faithful To The Original\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Studios will never stop remaking nostalgic \u201cclassics\u201d and popular properties from years past &#8211; or international hits of literal yesterday\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00e0 la<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Train To Busan<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8211; but the entire<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0team chases a more ambitious motivation: creating a Stephen King adaptation in spirit, matched in tenacity, but unique to its creators\u2019 signatures. The unexpected result is\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary <\/span><\/i>is<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0not a churned-out blockbuster product that follows tired ideas to linear completion (2016\u2019s shot-for-shot<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Cabin Fever<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0remake, anyone). No one else would make <em>this<\/em> namesake retelling, nor could they.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Specifically, Rachel Creed\u2019s given far more inclusive character development and usage that benefits\u00a0Seimetz\u2019s\u00a0empathy-wringing heartache. Louis\u2019 actions set Ellie\u2019s traumatic homecoming in motion, but Rachel isn\u2019t simply a pawn sacrifice as proof of murderous intent here. The entire Creed family are assigned their respective roles, and emotional instability sneaks in as Louis\u2019 new lifestyle is met with contemptuous blankness while Rachel\u2019s recollections of Zelda\u2019s dumbwaiter drip with bloody regret.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is creepy as all hell, beholden to its passionate respect for King&#8217;s literary intent &#8211; not simply \u201cupdate culture\u201d brand recognition &#8211; and quite a scary decimation of family structures through tragic, grief-stricken spellbinding. As far as King adaptations go? Inarguably one of the best yet. Ferocious enough to put you off children <em>and<\/em> cats if you\u2019re not careful. The ground may be sour, but K\u00f6lsch and\u00a0Widmyer\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is oh-so-sweet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>You Might Also Like<\/h2>\n<hr style=\"color: #000; width: 95%; margin-left: 0;\" \/>\n<!-- The Grid Plugin Version 2.7.4 --><div class=\"tg-error-msg\" data-grid-name=\"Home Featured\">No post was found with your current grid settings.&#xa;You should verify if you have posts inside the current selected post type(s) and if the meta key filter is not too much restrictive.<\/div>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a \u201cwise\u201d Ludlow, Maine resident once assured, \u201csometimes dead is better\u201d &#8211; but such isn\u2019t the case for\u00a0Kevin K\u00f6lsch\u00a0and\u00a0Dennis\u00a0Widmyer\u2019s\u00a0Pet\u00a0Sematary\u00a0remake. The duo behind 2014\u2019s\u00a0Starry Eyes\u00a0and 2016\u2019s \u201cValentines\u00a0Day\u201d\u00a0Holidays\u00a0segment take a stab at adapting Stephen King\u2019s cautionary reanimation narrative, translating to film the Creed family\u2019s grief-stricken undead nightmare with debilitating darkness. It\u2019s a known tale, but luckily, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58,52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-5318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-horror","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5318"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5328,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5318\/revisions\/5328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}