Pet Sematary

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1:18

Pet Sematary

R

1989

1h 39m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

42 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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Bruce Westbrook

Houston Chronicle

Jun 9, 2026

It's a wonderfully spooky premise, but King's sketch script, Lambert's ponderous direction and a lackluster cast don't make a strong case for it.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

Oct 4, 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

Apr 8, 2019

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

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Peter McPhee

Winnipeg Sun

Jun 11, 2026

Bad script, bad acting and bad budget.

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Aug 11, 2025

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

Aug 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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Connor

5 days ago

One of my favorite Stephen King adaptations!

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Moody C

@MoodyC 5 days ago

I prefer remake. Makeup for dead spirits look worst than those actors from Halloween haunted houses. Really took me out of it. Acting so bad & hammy that it’s unintentionally funny. Pacing is so slow that nothing significant happens until after about an hour. Only saving grace is that old neighbor dude who is more authentic here. Really, only one major difference btw 2 movies which is instead of girl turning first in remake, it’s boy toddler which while true to novel, it’s really silly looking & reminds me of Chucky from Child’s Play horror movies. Perhaps if that franchise does not exist maybe it wud work but only a big maybe. Girl works better in my book.

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Ed B

@EdLee Oct 7, 2026

Pet Semetary (1989). Love these early Stephen King film adaptations. Solid cast. Child actor playing Gage creepily good. Really good , creepy film to watch.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 6, 2026

A Super Bad remake of the original Pet Sematary

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Bob D

@345bob Jul 31, 2026

Loved the the move the story and the scariness

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Jul 22, 2026

9.5 / 10 Classic Stephen King - no description needed I hope Bury things in supernatural cemetery and they come back, but not the same... Rural New England, Late 80's creepy isolated feel "Sometimes dead is better"

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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

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Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Deadly Warning

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

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Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Church

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

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Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Gage

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

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

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Pet Sematary (1989): Official Clip - Killing Jud

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

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Pet Sematary: Trailer 1

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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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