Movies
‘Pet Sematary’ (2019) is Scarier Than You Remember
The Pet Sematary remake brought us something new within a story we knew well. It created a horror we hadn’t gotten from the previous renditions. I am positively bewildered whenever I hear someone say that the remake of Pet Sematary wasn’t scary. As a standalone film, this movie is terrifying, and I am here to remind you why.
Before we begin, I want to preface this by saying that I hold Pet Sematary near and dear to my heart. The novel was the first full-length Stephen King book I ever read and watching the 1989 Pet Sematary movie for the first time with my older sister is a beloved childhood memory that left me scarred in the best possible way. Little gore and scares that stick with you? Little me was invested.
As with all things beloved, when the attempt to remake Pet Sematary was announced, I was equally excited and apprehensive.
I know some people refuse to partake in any excitement about remakes. These same people unknowingly have favorites of their own that are remakes, but I digress. The lengths people will go to downplay a remake, simply because it’s a remake, immediately gives any movie an uphill climb to endeavor. It reminds me of what Mark Twain said: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.”
The Pet Sematary remake brought us something new within a story we knew well. It created a horror we hadn’t gotten from the previous renditions. I am positively bewildered whenever I hear someone say that the remake of Pet Sematary wasn’t scary. As a standalone film, this movie is terrifying, and I am here to remind you why.
Everything That Makes Pet Sematary (2019) Worth the Watch
We Don’t Talk About Zelda
There’s something I need to make clear right away. The point of this piece is to advocate for the Pet Sematary remake’s scariness; this is not a comparison piece against the original. That being said, it’s undeniable that the original left large shoes to fill when presenting this nightmare on screen, much of which the movie amounted to successfully. However, Andrew Hubatsek, the actor who played Zelda in 1989’s Pet Sematary, is the only Cinderella who can fill these slippers. As hard as I try to view the film as a standalone piece, this is one point that I cannot remove my expectancy bias. Zelda was the scariest part of 1989’s Pet Sematary, and the remake could not surpass his spectacular performance. There is some beauty in this, though, as the scariest parts of the 2019 Pet Sematary, directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, instead all came from the star, as it should.
Why Gage Didn’t Die in Pet Sematary (2019)
One of the biggest gripes we’ve seen about the film is its divergence from King’s material; on that note, I have two points. First, there’s nothing wrong with a horror director bringing the idea of someone else’s horror to life their own way. Dare to be different, so long as the original work is still respected.
Second, these divergences gave us the scariest parts of the movie- scares that were brand new to Pet Sematary lore.
Third, the movie is King-approved. Surprise, I had three points. But back to that second one.
Spoilers from here on out. Both King’s novel and the 1989 film adaptation of Pet Sematary have two-year-old Gage Creed die by the semi-truck that killed seven-year-old Ellie instead in 2019’s Pet Sematary. This change made fans furious for the apparent unnecessary blasphemous change to the plot.
Again, this isn’t a comparison piece, but after Miko Hughes’ performance as Gage Creed in the 1989 film, it would have been hard to see anyone else play that part anyway. Especially given that child labor laws are not the same today as they were in the eighties, that role would be tremendously difficult to pull off today with an actual toddler. Fun fact: Jete Laurence was 12 when Pet Sematary was released, and the role of Gage Creed in this film was played by twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie.
Through this crucial change to the plot, we can see the perspective of someone who’d been brought back, allowing us to glimpse the darkness brought forth by the Pet Sematary like never before. Gage could only say a few words, so we were given the whole painful perspective for the first time through seven-year-old Ellie.
The Scariest Moments in Pet Sematary (2019)
“It’s only a tangle.”
From the moment Ellie returns from her resting place in the Pet Sematary, the movie is filled with a sense of dread. We know that Judd Crandall means it when he says, “Sometimes dead is better,” and that people don’t come back from the Pet Sematary quite right. This film gives us the added horrific splendor in the fact that Ellie returns in a body that was 1) mangled in a car accident and 2) had already started the process of decomposition after autopsy. (I can’t believe I even need to continue my argument for this film.)
As such, Ellie returns with a look that is evident in all that I previously mentioned. It’s a goreful tidbit I never realized was woefully absent from its predecessor and made every scene with Ellie that much more uncomfortable. There was no looking at her and denying what you were looking at.
Because of the added insight into what an exhumed body might look like, we’re treated to the horrific bathtub scene where Louis Creed brushes his freshly undead daughter’s hair. He hits a snag, prompting her to ask in her little, evil, woodsy voice, “What was that?”
“It’s only a tangle,” he says, as he reveals he’d snagged onto staples in the back of her head. (You know, from where they had to staple her head back together after she died? Yikes)
That’s far from the only horrific incident with Jete Laurence’s little she-demon, as Louis Creed lays in bed next to his daughter, who can’t sleep, and as she lay, quietly seething, she proclaims:
“I can hear the woods.”
A quick aside to mention that Jason Clarke’s role as the grief-stricken Louis Creed was so well done. He perfectly encapsulated this place between “I’m happy I brought my daughter back” and “Dear god, what have I done?”
These polarizing viewpoints on existence are thematic in the film, as we see Ellie go through her own crises, as she exists as a little girl, but something else entirely simultaneously. This junction is made clear by her dancing scene the morning after she comes back. Ellie’s changed back into the clothes she was buried in, twirling around like a ballerina, but with a vicious, malicious undertone growing in apparency until she smashes up the room. Ellie is the little girl she once was who loved to dance, but it’s all tainted with a growing darkness now.
Likewise, Rachel Creed is in her own existential crux, as she actively tries to avoid death due to her childhood trauma just to have it hit her right in her worst nightmare by losing her daughter (and subsequently being murdered by her).
Victor Pascal is also split between states of being. He exists in a limbo where his sole mission has been stopping Louis Creed from succumbing to the call of the Pet Sematary. Ironically, he more than likely perpetuates the spread of evil, as his messages alert Rachel to return to the house, securing her and Gage’s begotten fates. But I digress.
The dancing scene gets a lot of hate, but frankly, I’m obsessed with it because it hammers in these existential contrasts. These conflicts we see experienced by everyone on screen make these people all the more “real”, and the horrors they experience more palpable. Pet Sematary has always been a scary thought for parents in general, because at its heart, it investigates the wild recesses humans will explore when faced with every parent’s worst nightmare. The Pet Sematary remake leaned hard into this core issue, and as such, served us the same horror that made Stephen King’s story great in the first place.
An Unwarranted Hatred for a Legit Scary Movie
Overall, Pet Sematary (2019) is a remarkable scary movie and doesn’t deserve half the hate it gets. Undead Ellie was pure nightmare fuel through and through, and I’m bewildered how anyone else could say otherwise.
Is Pet Sematary (2019), in fact, trash? Is Undead Ellie not scary at all?
First, stop lying to yourself. Then, feel free to vent all your Pet Sematary-related frustrations to the Horror Press Instagram account. I won’t receive your messages, but I’m sure our Editor-In-Chief, Curator of All Things Horror Press, James-Michael Fleites, will happily pass them along to me if you remember to give us a follow while you’re there. Of course, you can always stop by to spread love, too, but do people go out of their way to do that?
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching my favorite app. Luckily, Shudder is not taking it easy on us this holiday season, so I may meet my quota this January. The streamer is bringing in the new year with quite a few bangers. We have classics from icons, a new title from the first family of indie horror, and a couple of lesser-known films that have finally found a home. So, I am obviously living for this month’s programming and think most of you will too. I have picked the five films that I believe deserve our collective attention the most. Get into each of them and start your 2026 off on the right foot.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Carrie (1976)
A sheltered teen finally unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated for the last time. Carrie is the reason I thought proms might be cool when I was a kid. This Brian De Palma adaptation is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It is also an important title in the good-for-her subgenre. I cannot help rooting for Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) when I watch her snap at this prom and then head home to accidentally deal with her mom. The only tragedy of this evening is that Carrie had to die, too. I said what I said, and I will be hitting play again while it is on Shudder. This recommendation goes out to the other recovering sheltered girls who would be the problem if they had powers. I see you because I am you.
You can watch Carrie on January 1st.
Marshmallow (2025)
A shy 12-year-old gets sent to summer camp and finds himself in a living nightmare. While Marshmallow did not land for me, I know plenty of people who love it. Which makes this the perfect addition to the Shudder catalogue. I am actually excited to see more folks fall in love with this movie when it hits the streamer. If nothing else, it will help a few folks cross off another 2025 title if they are still playing catch-up with last year’s movies. It also gets cool points from me for not taking the easy route with the mystery it built. I hope you all dig it more than I did, and tell your friends about it. Perhaps you could even encourage them to sign up for the app.
You can watch Marshmallow on January 1st.
Chain Reactions (2024)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cemented his horror legacy over fifty years ago. So, it is long overdue for a documentary where horror royalty can discuss its impact on them and their careers. I have been waiting for a couple of years to hear Karyn Kusama and Takashi Miike talk about Hooper’s work and how he inspired them. So, I am super geeked that Shudder is finally giving me the chance to see this film. The streamer is also helping the nerds out by adding The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 (1986) this month. If you are also an overachieving couch potato, I will see you at the finish line next week.
You can watch Chain Reactions on January 9th.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator discovers the impact a horror writer’s books have on people. I love chaos, and John Carpenter chaos happens to be one of my favorite kinds of chaos. While we talk about The Thing and Halloween all the time, this maestro has given us plenty of horror to celebrate. In the Mouth of Madness is very much one of those titles vying for a top spot among the best of his filmography. To sweeten the batshit pot, this movie features Sam Neill. You know that he only shows up in our genre if the movie is going to be legendary. You cannot tell me this is not a Shudder priority this month.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness on January 10th.
Mother of Flies (2025)
A terminally ill young woman and her dad head to the woods to seek out a recluse who claims she can cure her cancer. The Adams Family has been holding court on Shudder for years, so it feels right that Mother of Flies is a Shudder Original. More importantly, this fest favorite has one of the best performances of 2025. Which makes it a great time for people to finally get to see it and get in line to give Toby Poser her flowers. Whatever you think your favorite Poser role is, it is about to change when you see her as Solveig. I am being serious when I say that this movie might be the first family of indie horror at their best.
You can watch Mother of Flies on January 23rd.
New year, but same Shudder. I would not want to go into 2026 any other way, personally. I hope these horrific recommendations bring you the good kind of anxiety. Or at least distract you from the state of the world for a bit.
I’m happy Netflix knew I would be back on my bull shit. Now that we’re in January, and the end-of-year lists are done, I’m trying to cram as many 2025 titles into my eyeballs as I possibly can. I know it sounds backwards, but it’s sadly a yearly tradition now. No matter how many titles you cram into a year, there are always a ton more you missed. Because I am broken, I need to know if I missed anything that should have been on my lists ASAP. Then I can drag myself for not getting my eyeballs on things sooner. Or worse, seeing titles that came out after my deadline and would have definitely been on there. I need to feel resentment for their schedules not letting me be great.
Luckily for me, the streamer has dropped quite a bit of new stuff recently. This includes movies and shows that I put off, or that legitimately premiered a couple of weeks ago. So, now I can spiral in the comfort of my own home as I binge all of these titles like a maniac. If you are also trying to walk into the new year stressed out, then maybe this streaming guide is for you, too.
City of Shadows (2025)
When a burned body is put on display on the facade of an iconic building, two inspectors must work together to solve the crime. I don’t know much about this Spanish thriller, but I know winter is the time for an unsettling mystery. The show is based on the first book of the Milo Malart tetralogy written by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. So, if it’s as good as I hope it is, there is a whole world with this inspector awaiting us in print. I’m ready to take all six of these episodes in one setting if the streaming Gods allow.
Frankenstein (2025)
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz are among the names in this newest adaptation of the beloved Gothic horror classic. Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is clearly one of the top priorities this month. While I skipped it in festivals because of the runtime, I knew I would have a date with it on Netflix this winter. While it has been on the streamer for a minute, I wasn’t able to dedicate two and a half hours to it. I also had watched my friends’ mixed reviews come in, and couldn’t take another disappointment last year. So, I saved this treat for the holiday. Fingers crossed, it is better than people are saying it is.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
A new group of friends is tormented by a new stalker in this sequel to Kevin Williamson’s other ’90s slasher. I’m indifferent to the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies. Some are less awful than others, and I think this one was fine, but I know the original source material. Which means I know just how far they stray from what the original author, Lois Duncan, was about. So, I look at these movies and the flimsy premise they repeat differently than a lot of my friends. I think it’s an interesting look at how IP gets handled in Hollywood, but I don’t usually get much out of these. Which is another reason I’m kinder to this Jennifer Kaytin Robinson film than some people. While I won’t be rewatching it this January, I think a lot of people who missed it in theaters are going to have fun with some of these kills now that it’s on Netflix.
Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025)
The long-awaited conclusion to Stranger Things is finally upon us! Will Vecna take out some of this ridiculously large cast on the way out? I hope so. Will we pretend to be surprised when Eddie Munson gets a few seconds of screentime? I refuse to play this game. However, are we all going to tune in to see how this epic ride ends? You betcha! I hate that they’re breaking this final season up into three chunks, but I will be sitting for all of them.
The first four episodes hit in November. The next three landed on Netflix on December 25, and the finale premiered on December 31. I don’t know what to expect, but I know I am so ready to close this chapter of my relationship with Netflix and the Duffer Brothers. If it is even half as good as season four, then I will be a very happy nerd.
Troll 2 (2025)
A new troll awakens, causing Nora, Andreas, and Captain Kris to find new allies to take it down. This Norwegian monster flick almost got by me, so I’m happy Netflix dropped the trailer for this one. I’m using this as an excuse to finally watch the first one. I’m thinking a double feature is in order, so I can spend a whole day with these trolls. This is not my usual type of party, but after Troll Hunter won me over, I figure anything can happen. So, I will not judge you if you’re not feeling this out of left field pick. Just know that I’m running at it with an open mind and hoping to see some carnage as a reward.
These are just the Netflix titles I’m prioritizing. This is in no way a complete overview of all of the new shows and movies they’ve added this winter. We also know that they usually have a ton of international bangers that they refuse to advertise. So, I end up stumbling over Korean titles every January and then trying to tell people we missed some really excellent stuff. So, pick up your remote and turn your phone off. It’s time to Netflix and Chill in the less sexy and more nerdy way.
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