Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Stephen King is a master of horror and many of his works have been adapted for films and television shows. Some of them more than once. ‘Pet Sematary’ is one such movie, that first came out in 1989, and is based on King’s 1983 book of the same name. The second remake came out in 2019.
If you are familiar with King’s works, you know that they do not always have happy endings. King masterfully manages to create an atmosphere of dread and almost oppressive fear that gets to you even if you are sitting in the comfort of a hall, watching the movie. When ‘Pet Sematary’ first came out, it received mixed reviews from critics who were mostly torn about how the re-imagining differed from the original source and the previous film, though the common consensus was that the new version was better than the previous adaptation. ‘Pet Sematary’ also garnered praise for the performances, the creation of a frightening atmosphere and the overall dark tone.
Does this make you want to watch the movie or re-watch it? Maybe yes, but before we tell you where you can see ‘Pet Sematary’, let us tell you what the movie is about.
What is Pet Sematary About?
The story of ‘Pet Sematary’ begins with Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), a doctor from Boston, moving to a small town in Maine with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and two children — son Gage and daughter Ellie. Ellie’s cat, Church, also accompanies them. While exploring the woods, the children come across a funeral procession where they see children taking a dead dog to a cemetery called the Pet Sematary. Their neighbor Jud (John Lithgow) warns them that the woods are dangerous.
Sad incidents soon befall the family as Louis is shaken when he loses a patient Victor Pascow, who was fatally injured upon being struck by a vehicle. He later has a vivid dream where Pascow leads him to the back of the cemetery and then warns him not to venture beyond that. When Louis wakes up, he finds his feet and the bed sheet caked in mud, suggesting it was not just a dream. On Halloween, Church, the cat, dies. Louis takes it to Pet Sematary, and then beyond, to an ancient burial ground, and lays it to rest there. To his surprise, Church returns but is more aggressive than before. It rips into a bird, and Jud warns Louis that the burial ground is haunted by a Wendigo, which brings things back from the dead but in a more violent form. When Church attacks Gage, Louis has no option but to euthanize the cat. However, he decides to set it free instead.
This sets in motion a chain of terrible events because when Ellie spots Church, she rushes out to meet the cat, and gets hit by a tanker truck; she dies on the spot. Rachel and Gage leave for Rachel’s parents home, and Jud senses that Louis might want to bring his daughter back, and warns him that the dead should be left on their own; but driven by guilt, Louis drugs Jud and exhumes Ellie’s body, and then buries her in the ancient ground. Ellie returns but begins to show disturbing behavior. Gage and Rachel are both plagued by ghosts; the former sees Pascow, while Rachel sees her dead sister, Zelda. Jud goes to confront Louis, but when he sees Ellie, he runs back to his house, frightened, but determined to shoot this abomination dead. Ellie and Church team up to prevent this, and while the latter distracts Jud, Ellie slashes his Achilles tendon, before stabbing him to death.
When Rachel and Gage return, they are horrified to see Ellie, but Louis explains about the burial ground to them. But this is no time for explanations as Ellie stabs Rachel, who nonetheless manages to escape to the bathroom with Gage. When Louis finds Jud’s body, he rushes to save his family, but can only save Gage as Rachel is fatally stabbed by Emily. She also knocks out Louis and buries Rachel in the ancient ground. Just as Louis is about to kill Ellie, a resurrected Rachel impales him with a weather vane, and his body is also buried. When Louis rises, the trio, along with Church, sets fire to Jud’s house, and then motions for Gage to open the car door, where Louis had previously safely locked him inside.
There is an alternate ending to the story as well, where Louis does not kill Ellie, sparing her instead. They bury Rachel promising they will be together. Then Louis and Ellie set Jud’s house on fire and gets Gage to unlock the car door. When the family reunites at the house, everyone is present and Louis is shown to be carrying Gage in his arms, who is now crying in fear.
It is a truly fearsome way to end a film, and now let us tell you where you can watch ‘Pet Sematary’.
Is Pet Sematary on Netflix?
Netflix has an amazing collection of films and television shows, and Stephen King’s works obviously feature among them. Although ‘Pet Sematary’ is not on the platform, you can check out another interesting flick, ‘Gerald’s Game‘.
Is Pet Sematary on Hulu?
Hulu has a swiftly growing collection, and some of its content is truly spectacular. Though ‘Pet Sematary’ is not on Hulu, you can enjoy one of the finest shows on Stephen King’s universe titled ‘Castle Rock‘ on this platform.
Is Pet Sematary on Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime has a library that can perhaps only be bested by Netflix’s. Although Prime subscribers cannot watch ‘Pet Sematary’ as is, they can rent or buy the movie and stream it on the platform. It costs $5.99 to rent it and $14.99 to buy it. You can check it out here.
Where Can I Stream Pet Sematary Online?
No subscriptions to any major platforms? No problems. You can still head over to YouTube and Vudu and catch ‘Pet Sematary’. Both platforms have a wide array of options to rent the movie, including $4.99 for the SD version, $5.99 for the HD version, and $7.99 for the Ultra HD version. To buy the movie, you have to shell out $14.99 or $19.99 if you want the Ultra HD version. We recommend renting it.
Is Pet Sematary Out on DVD and BluRay?
Yes, ‘Pet Sematary’ is available on DVD and BluRay and has been so since July 9, 2019. If you want to buy or rent the movie, head here and you should be good to go.
Where Can I Watch Pet Sematary Online For Free?
Unfortunately, there is no way right now for you to watch the new ‘Pet Sematary’ movie for free. You can check out the old version, or wait till the new one comes to a streaming platform which allows you to use the free trial period and watch the film.
However, we would urge our users to pay for all the art they consume.
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