I was very disappointed by Pet Sematary.
As a father of a young child, I was hesitant to see the film, but as a lover of horror and Stephen King stories I was curious, but wary.
I felt that the casting and performances worked very well and on the surface the film began with potential. However, the standard for horror is much higher for films today. This film lapsed very quickly into cliches and tropes which reduced the quality of the experience greatly. I could try to explain why, but it's probably best to just say it quickly felt unintentionally and weirdly pointless - a movie-by-the-numbers.
Where the trailers gave a sense that there was gravitas and meaning in the images, there is little to no subtext in the final images or the mysteries being discussed and discovered. I felt ejected from the narrative because the viewer is being spoon-fed very unimaginative horror moments (spooky music everywhere, without context, ground fog everywhere, too many dream sequences ...). The relationships between father, daughter, mother and neighbor all formulaic to the point of appearing like a caricature of 'normal people' in simple contrast to the carnage to come. Both the writing and direction felt simply uninspired.
The film did not make me believe that they had earned the right to make me experience the deaths - it felt like the family and their cranky New England neighbor were mere vehicles for bland horror cliches. I would not recommend the film.
I felt that the casting and performances worked very well and on the surface the film began with potential. However, the standard for horror is much higher for films today. This film lapsed very quickly into cliches and tropes which reduced the quality of the experience greatly. I could try to explain why, but it's probably best to just say it quickly felt unintentionally and weirdly pointless - a movie-by-the-numbers.
Where the trailers gave a sense that there was gravitas and meaning in the images, there is little to no subtext in the final images or the mysteries being discussed and discovered. I felt ejected from the narrative because the viewer is being spoon-fed very unimaginative horror moments (spooky music everywhere, without context, ground fog everywhere, too many dream sequences ...). The relationships between father, daughter, mother and neighbor all formulaic to the point of appearing like a caricature of 'normal people' in simple contrast to the carnage to come. Both the writing and direction felt simply uninspired.
The film did not make me believe that they had earned the right to make me experience the deaths - it felt like the family and their cranky New England neighbor were mere vehicles for bland horror cliches. I would not recommend the film.