Paramount+’s Pet Sematary: Bloodlines sets up Ludlow, Maine as a town in need of a serious exorcism. A lot of heartache could have been avoided if only its settlers had pulled a Roanoke and left the town to the indigenous population in the area. But they didn’t, and this prequel to Stephen King’s 1983 bestseller fills in details about the town’s history and why reanimating dead loved ones – whether they be covered in fur, feathers, or human skin – is always a bad idea.
Bloodlines reveals that Ludlow has problems that go beyond its misspelled cemetery. The Micmacs knew the woods were evil, the ground was sour, and that death was different there. Centuries later, children built the Pet Sematary on a patch of ground that serves as a gateway between the living and the dead. And as Ludlowian Jud Crandall comes to understand, sometimes it’s better to let the dead stay dead.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines explores multiple time periods, but primarily focuses on 1969. In the late ‘60s, some townsfolk harbor resentment toward the Crandalls because Jud (Jackson White) has been fortunate enough to avoid the draft while other young Ludlow men have been sent off to fight in Vietnam. Jud believes he’s just incredibly lucky, but his father’s peers suspect that there may be more to the story.
One peer, Bill Baterman (David Duchovny), knows first-hand the toll the Vietnam War is taking on families. His son, Timmy, was killed in action, and Bill, devastated by grief, lies and claims Timmy’s been honorably discharged and has returned home a hero. Bill takes the family dog with him to the Pet Sematary, well aware of the cemetery’s supernatural powers, and buries his son’s body in the dead of night. Unfortunately, the family dog gets a little too close to the grave and falls victim to the same fate as Timmy.
Within days, Bill’s actions ignite a fierce battle between the living and the undead that rocks the small town to its core.
For decades, Jud’s dad (Henry Thomas) and the town’s elders have overseen putting down the dead who’ve risen. Jud and his girlfriend, Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind), are suddenly thrust into the centuries-old conflict between good and evil while attempting to escape Ludlow and join the Peace Corps. Their escape is disrupted by a huge bird that crashes into their windshield before they can even hit the town line, followed by a horrifying encounter with Timmy’s dog, freshly undead and now possessed by demonic energy.
With Norma taken out of action by the dog, it’s up to Jud to uncover the dark secrets of his town – and his family. Luckily, he’s not alone in his quest as his old BFF Manny (Forrest Goodluck) and Manny’s sister, Donna (Isabella Star LaBlanc), join him in the fight against the pervasive evil that plagues Ludlow.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is moderately successful in filling in the events touched upon in a chapter of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Meant for fans well versed in the source material (or either of the two Pet Sematary film adaptations), this prequel fits within Ludlow canon but never matches King’s original story’s terrifying vibe.
Bloodlines digs into Ludlow’s past and specifically into the background of Pet Sematary’s Jud Crandall, the wise elderly neighbor played by the late great Fred Gwynne in the 1989 horror film. Gwynne’s Jud was the most interesting character in the first film adaptation; however, the same can’t be said of Jackson White’s younger version of the character who plays second fiddle in personality to Forrest Goodluck’s Manny.
Manny and, to a lesser extent, his sister (Isabella Star LaBlanc) are better developed and far more intriguing than the intended main character. Jud’s portrayed as an unfortunate guy who stumbles into trouble and then careens through the film, reacting to the actions of those around him. It’s surface-level only, and he appears to be unaffected by the increasing body count and rising stakes, leaving him to be a somewhat shallow character. That’s a problem as Jud’s supposed to be our entryway into this terrifying tale, but as written, he’s not up to the task.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines has a decent number of jump scares, and undead Timmy (Jack Mulhern) is satisfyingly gruesome. But while the setup’s intriguing, the execution doesn’t quite live up to expectations. It’s impossible to match Stephen King’s writing, and this prequel proves it’s time to let King’s Pet Sematary‘s Ludlow rest in peace.
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: R for gore, language, and horror violence
Release Date: October 6, 2023 on Paramount+
Directed By: Lindsey Anderson Beer
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Pet Sematary: Bloodlines screened during the 2023 Fantastic Fest.
