‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ Review – Lackluster Prequel To A Beloved King Story [Fantastic Fest 2023]

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, directed by newcomer Lindsey Anderson Beer, serves as the prequel to 2019’s Pet Sematary, adapted from Stephen King’s horror novel. The film’s plot extrapolates much from a story that is contained in the original book that speaks to the origins of the Pet Sematary and the horrors that Jud Crandall (Jackson White) has faced over the years in Ludlow, Maine. The film opens with Bill (David Duchovny) burying his son Timmy (Jack Mulhern) in the Sematary after he was killed in Vietnam. We next turn our attention to Jud Crandall as he is starting to say his goodbyes as he and his girlfriend Norma are about to head off to the Peace Corps. Due to a couple of unfortunate encounters with animals as they are trying to depart Ludlow, they are forced to stick around for at least a few more days.

As Jud is forced to stay home, he attempts to mend his formative childhood relationships with Timmy, who he heard is just back from the war, and Manny (Forrest Goodluck) while more and more people in town seem to be disappearing. It’s not clear what caused a rift between these friends, but it takes a lot for them to get past it. Despite this being a horror film based on an inkling of writing from the master of horror himself, the relationships between Jud and Manny and Jud and his father (Henry Thomas) prove to be the best part of the story. The narrative succeeds when leaning into these relationships, but strays from this a bit too often down the stretch. 

Considering the fact that Bloodlines is a prequel to a beloved story, it’s bound to have a built-in audience of rabid Stephen King fans who watch and read anything that has to do with him, but the film doesn’t have much to offer other moviegoers. The lore and history of Ludlow and the original Pet Sematary storyline are greatly expanded in this film, but otherwise, there’s not much happening. Indeed, Bloodlines, unfortunately, falls prey to the copy-and-paste horror that dilutes the horror genre that has seen an uptick in solid releases over the past few years. It’s a noble effort to try and build upon a successful concept, but this attempt lacked a sense of inspiration and creativity that can make or break horror films. Both the score and cinematography are nothing to write home about and exist solely to get the job done.

One of the highlights of the film is the performance of Forrest Goodluck, who recently turned out another brilliant performance in How to Blow Up a Pipeline, as Manny. He brings a ton of heart and emotion to the story that is much needed as many of the other characters are not given an opportunity to convey much more than a rigid seriousness. Jackson White is put in the tough position of taking over a role last played by the great John Lithgow, albeit playing the younger version of the character. He’s forced to try and emulate what that younger Jud Crandall might have been like, but the story and script don’t let him play around with much here. 

Where Pet Sematary: Bloodlines ultimately succeeds is as a film looking to bring more history and context to an already beloved Stephen King story. Unfortunately, it fails to cross the threshold that turns an okay horror movie into a solid one built for the average horror fan. Supporters of the original story may find it intriguing to learn more about the town of Ludlow and the Crandall family, but others will be left wishing for more from this film. 

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines had its World Premiere in the Official Selection section of Fantastic Fest 2023. The film will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ on October 6, 2023. 

Director: Lindsey Anderson Beer

Writers: Lindsey Anderson Beer, Jeff Buhler

Rated: R

Runtime: 87m

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IgQpRyfwbE]