Pet Sematary

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1:18

Pet Sematary

R

Released Apr 21, 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

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

Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

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.

Rated: 7/10

Aug 11, 2025

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

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Eric S

In retrospect, this movie is so corny that the corniness interferes with any chance of genuine horror. That doesn't mean it's not fun, but it's not worthy of more than one or two stars. Watch it with your friends and some light intoxication.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

MT C

This movie is awesome! This movie isn’t too long or too short. The story gets you hooked, and some parts are actually scary. This is one of Stephen King’s best movies. It has the perfect amount of storytelling, mystery, and action. This is a really good movie with the perfect runtime, and is very eerie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

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Christopher G.

My first scary movie and it made me cry that it faithfully adept to the book.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/22/25

Full Review

Olivia J

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

Full Review

Arturs L

The scariest film of my childhood! Must own on 4k disc.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

Full Review

shahar s

A top horror movie with a truly scary plot, unlike other horror films with silly storylines. Additionally, many scenes in the movie are executed in an advanced manner for its time, such as the child and how they made him behave violently in an era when technology was not very advanced.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

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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 - Killing Church

1:52

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

1:31

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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