Pet Sematary (2019): How Does it Compare to the Original?
(~500 words, 3rd person)
Stephen King’s ghastly tale on the horrors of loss and the eerie allure of cursed ground got another adaptation in 2019.
While some question key changes made to it, others have called it the best King movie in years even after the huge success that was 2017’s It. How does this one compare to the 1989 adaptation?
Is it really a film worth reviving? Or is dead better for older stories like this? Here are some key changes, and cool references you may have missed.
Main Differences: Character Swap & a Much Darker Ending
The film’s biggest change was a point of contention, but worked out well enough. Rather than Gage, it’s Ellie who meets her end due to a speeding truck and is brought back by the dark powers of the burial ground.
The character of Zelda returned, but her demise was much more impactful. While in the original story she perished from choking as a result of her illness, the remake saw her die from falling down a faulty dumbwaiter her sister used to send food up – despite being advised by their parents not to.
The ending is also much more sinister, seeing Ellie, Rachel, and Louis all brought back from the dead – and showing them closing in on Gage in the film’s final moments.
Easter Eggs: King References Galore & Dark Cartoon Humor
During the scene at the party, if you listen carefully you’ll hear Jud talking about a dog that went wild and killed multiple people – a reference to Cujo. There are also highway exits to Jerusalem’s Lot (a nod to Salem’s Lot) and Derry, home of Pennywise.
When Ellie and Gage are watching SpongeBob SquarePants, the episode is “Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost,” where the characters believe their neighbor has returned from the dead to haunt them.
King had an idea for a different ending where Gage would be walking along the street, and the sound of a truck would grow louder.
Just as fans thought he was a goner, the truck would stop and the driver would ask him where his parents were. It would’ve added a glimmer of hope to the bleak finale, rather than the official ending which kills our hope and drags it off to a cursed burial ground.
The Verdict? One of King’s Better Adaptations
While the film was criticized for its deviation from the source material and previous adaptation, this also helps set it apart, making it more of a reimagining than a true remake. That takes some of the pressure off, and allows for more suspense.
As for the story itself, it’s eerie in all the right ways, though the pacing is a little questionable. While it doesn’t have the creepy visuals of 2017’s It, it relies on a genuine sense of dread, and does it better than its predecessor.
The acting is better too, letting us feel Louis’s slow, painful descent into desperation and darkness. It also left room for a sequel, which unlike the lackluster sequel to the original, could see secondary characters from the main story take the spotlight.