Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Pet Sematary

R Released Apr 21, 1989 1h 39m Horror Mystery & Thriller TRAILER for List
58% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Doctor Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) moves his family to Maine, where he meets a friendly local named Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne). After the Creeds' cat is accidentally killed, Crandall advises Louis to bury it in the ground near the old pet cemetery. The cat returns to life, its personality changed for the worse. When Louis' son, Gage (Miko Hughes), dies tragically, Louis decides to bury the boy's body in the same ground despite the warnings of Crandall and Louis' visions of a deceased patient.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Pet Sematary is a bruising horror flick that wears its quirks on its sleeves, to the detriment of its scare factor.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (40) Critics Reviews
Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune Reduced to its plot outlines, King`s work no longer functions; its meaning lies in the obscure tensions and anxieties that shape the fantasy, not in what happens, but why. Rated: 2/4 Oct 4, 2019 Full Review Anne Cohen Refinery29 Overall, the acting in Pet Sematary is hit or miss. But when it hits, it's a bullseye. Apr 8, 2019 Full Review Ed Gonzalez Apollo Guide Aside from its blatant foreshadowing, the main problem with Pet Sematary is its hit-you-over-the-head approach to characters' inability to "let sleeping dogs lie." Rated: 40/100 Jul 25, 2001 Full Review KT Mahe For Your Reference Podcast Pet Sematary works as a fun horror movie (including a little icon) but also is ambitious in it's willingness to explore the inevitability of death and the necessity of working through grief Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 27, 2024 Full Review Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast While the acting and narrative structure in Pet Sematary leave something to be desired, the film’s third act delivers on its promising and horrifying premise with gory aplomb. Rated: 4/5 Jul 3, 2024 Full Review Kristy Strouse Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying Genuinely scary and uniquely odd, Pet Sematary shocks and awes with its no-holds-barred approach. Dec 9, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Sandra A Absolutely amazing history! I loved kids' performance and the casting. I really enjoyed the end. Uff! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Stanny R Not a bad movie but definitely slow. This film just slowly plods along for a good 30 mins before getting to more action. Great source material with Stephen King book but I don’t think it quite lived up to the devastating-amazing novel. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/05/24 Full Review Michael P One of the best movies based on Stephen king's works. Worth a watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Avery G Ending feels a bit rushed in my opinion. Characters make extremely stupid decisions. Louis is the poster boy for horrible and lackadaisical parenting. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/19/24 Full Review Jackie S Pet Sematary is my favorite horror movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/16/24 Full Review Thom G The bad and unconvincing performances of the leading characters, with the exception of Fred Gwynne, and their unrealistic reactions to the unfolding events are somewhat redeemed by a truly creepy story. "Pet Sematary" may not be a good movie overall, but it delivers good horror! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Pet Sematary

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Gage's Death Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Gage's Death 2:07 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Deadly Warning Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Deadly Warning 1:55 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Church Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Church 1:52 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Rachel Comes Home Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Rachel Comes Home 1:31 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Dead is Better Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Dead is Better 2:13 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Gage Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Gage 2:13 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Dying Sister Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Dying Sister 2:05 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - I Brought You Something Mommy Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - I Brought You Something Mommy 2:09 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Jud Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Jud 2:04 Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Cat Comes Back Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Cat Comes Back 1:38 View more videos
Children of the Corn 39% 40% Children of the Corn TRAILER for Children of the Corn Cujo 59% 46% Cujo Psycho IV: The Beginning 20% 32% Psycho IV: The Beginning Misery 91% 90% Misery Angel Heart 82% 81% Angel Heart Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Doctor Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) moves his family to Maine, where he meets a friendly local named Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne). After the Creeds' cat is accidentally killed, Crandall advises Louis to bury it in the ground near the old pet cemetery. The cat returns to life, its personality changed for the worse. When Louis' son, Gage (Miko Hughes), dies tragically, Louis decides to bury the boy's body in the same ground despite the warnings of Crandall and Louis' visions of a deceased patient.
Director
Mary Lambert
Producer
Richard P. Rubinstein
Screenwriter
Stephen King
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 21, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2013
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Most Popular at Home Now