Pet Sematary – 4K UHD Movie Review

Based on the Stephen King story; after the Creed family moves to rural Maine from Boston, they soon discover an ancient burial ground hidden in the woods behind their new home. When tragedy strikes, the grief-stricken father is drawn the cemetery’s sinister power which sets off a chain of events that unleashes evil with horrific consequences. Somethings are better off dead.

This is the third movie adaptation for this novel, and I give them credit for changing enough of the story to let it go into new territory (terror tory?). The ending is quite different, and it does make the audience ponder death and its permanence…or un-permanence. The acting was top notch, especially the little girl. Though I am familiar with both the novel and the other 2 films, this one is a bit creepier and has a bit of dark humor as well. My favorite, and I am waiting for a re-make, is still Salem’s Lot. Most of King’s stories take place in New England and my kids went to a school in Derry, NH. Derry crops up often in his stories, though it may not always be the one in NH. That adds a bit of “cool factor” to this. Ultimately, unless you are a big King fan, this movie will likely not have a high re-watch value. Of the 3 films, this is probably the best adaptation, IMHO.

The picture is often dark, but HDR keeps the shadow detail intact and primary colors, especially reds, look bold and solid. Whites have a bright crisp glow to them and the details in Lithgow’s facial make-up is remarkably detailed. Sound was good, but due to the nature of the story, front heavy. Still, some effects will have you looking over your shoulder during the creepier scenes. Yikes!

Besides a BD copy, you get: an alternate ending, seven deleted scenes, Night Terrors (family haunting visions), and over 90 minutes of bonus content.