Pet Sematary

Play trailer

1:18

Pet Sematary

R

1989

1h 39m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

10/04/2019

2/4

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.

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Anne Cohen

Refinery29

04/08/2019

Overall, the acting in Pet Sematary is hit or miss. But when it hits, it's a bullseye.

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Ed Gonzalez

Apollo Guide

07/25/2001

40/100

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."

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Aug 11

7/10

The film has equal parts dread, jump scares, and gore. All of which are very effective. The special effects are good, save for the fight with the Gage doll at the end of the film.

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KT Mahe

For Your Reference Podcast

08/27/2024

4.5/5

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

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

07/03/2024

4/5

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.

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Jan 3

Pet Sematary remains one of the most impactful horror films ever made. What sets the original apart is its willingness to cross emotional boundaries that horror rarely touched at the time. The death of Gage Creed was shocking and unforgettable, especially in an era when child death in cinema was nearly unheard of. The film feels grounded and disturbingly realistic, making the horror feel close to home. That sense of realism is what made it terrifying for audiences who grew up watching it. The story’s exploration of grief and denial, pulled directly from Stephen King’s novel, gives the film emotional weight beyond standard scares. While later adaptations have tried to recapture that impact, none have matched the original’s timing or emotional power. The 1989 Pet Sematary feels more connected, more haunting, and more effective than anything that followed.

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Ink C

Dec 22

The book might be better but that doesn't mean the film adaptation is any less entertaining

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GotRizz237

Dec 17

Honestly, Pet Sematary was great! Extremely scary movie.

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Anson L

Nov 30

Genuinely scary and uniquely odd, Pet Sematary shocks and awes with its no-holds-barred approach.

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Ma N

@Ma_Nu Nov 5

I really wanted to give this film a chance, but honestly I couldn't make it through without skipping, because I got really annoyed and bored when only about half of the movie had passed.

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Alexander S

Oct 20

As a non-reader growing up, I went into this film with an open mind hoping for a horror classic. Although it didn't quite dig its way into my heart, it’s likely that fans of Stephen King's novels will understand and appreciate his storytelling approach in Pet Cemetery better than general audiences. Grading: C-

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Mary Lambert

Director

Dale Midkiff

Louis Creed

Fred Gwynne

Jud Crandall

Denise Crosby

Rachel Creed

Brad Greenquist

Victor Pascow

Michael Lombard

Irwin Goldman

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Gage's Death

2:07

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Deadly Warning

1:55

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Rachel Comes Home

1:31

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Church

1:52

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Dead is Better

2:13

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Gage

2:13

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Dying Sister

2:05

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - I Brought You Something Mommy

2:09

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Jud

2:04

Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - The Cat Comes Back

1:38

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Pet Sematary: Trailer 1

1:18

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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)

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