Pet Sematary (1989)

Pet Sematary (1989) is an American supernatural horror film, adapted from Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert, it follows the Creed family – Louis, Rachel, their two children Ellie and Gage, and their cat Church – as they relocate from Chicago to rural Ludlow, Maine. After Louis takes on a job as a local physician, they become friendly with their neighbor Jud Crandall. During a visit to an isolated pet cemetery in the forest behind their new home (misspelled ‘sematary’), Jud shares some unsettling stories about its unsettling history. Meanwhile, Louis has a strange encounter with Victor Pascow, a jogger who tragically dies after being hit by a truck. Even though they have never met before, Pascow calls Louis by name and warns him about the pet cemetery. That night, while appearing in Louis’s dream, Pascow leads him to the cemetery and urges him not to cross the barrier.

When he wakes up from what he thinks was just a dream, Louis discovers his feet are covered in dirt. While the family is away for Thanksgiving, a truck fatally strikes Church, their beloved pet. Worried about Ellie’s reaction, Jud brings Louis to an ancient Miꞌkmaq burial ground in the woods. There, he instructs Louis to bury Church and keep it a secret from anyone else. The following day, Church returns to life with some noticeable changes – a putrid smell, sluggish movements, glowing gold eyes, and aggression towards Louis. Jud reveals that he too had experienced this with his childhood dog and believes that reanimating Church will spare Ellie from the pain of losing her pet. Unfortunately, later on Gage also falls victim to a truck on the same road. Jud suspects that Louis may be considering burying Gage in the Miꞌkmaq ground but Louis denies it.