 |
| Among the buried in 2019's Pet Sematary |
Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer's Pet Sematary is a stolid remake, lacking the campy glee of Mary Lambert's 1989 version. This adaptation focuses more on the family dynamics of the besieged nuclear unit. Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz are finely understated as Mom and Dad. The child actors are exemplary. King's ideas, such as they are, are boiled down to their basics and reconstituted. One thinks of better, more forceful adaptations of King's work echoed here such as The Shining's deconstruction of the American Family and The Dead Zone's utilization of a big rig as a harbinger of fate.
The film is drained of local color. Despite putting Mom in a Maine T-shirt, the setting is anonymous. Even the talented John Lithgow huffs and puffs to no avail. Pet Sematary is competently made, but lacks zest, energy and memorable moments. No eggs were broken in the making of this omelette.
No comments:
Post a Comment