Andy Muschietti’s IT promises to scare up huge box office numbers next month and has recently expressed interest in remaking another beloved Stephen King classic, Pet Sematary. The 1989 film, adapted for the screen by King himself, is deemed a horror classic by many. So much so that its success lead to an inevitable, but much-maligned sequel just a few years later. Released in theaters on August 28, 1992, Pet Sematary Two was panned by critics and audiences alike. As we’re approaching the film’s 25th anniversary, I wanted to champion this underrated sequel and explain why it’s much better than you remember.
It’s no surprise that Paramount was eager to move forward with a sequel after the success of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, or that they tapped Mary Lambert to return to the director’s chair. But a sequel meant veering away from Stephen King’s original story into new territory, which added a level of trepidation. It didn’t help that the author had his name removed from the sequel prior to release, either. While its predecessor was somber in tone, Pet Sematary Two defied expectations and dove head first into completely new territory in both tone and story, further alienating the Pet Sematary fan base.
Instead of the grief and guilt stricken father, Louis Creed, the sequel’s protagonist is an adolescent boy, Jeff Matthews, forced to move to the quaint town of Ludlow, Maine after losing his mother in a horrific on set accident. The dead don’t stay dead in Ludlow, Maine, of course, and Jeff learns way more about death than any 13-year-old should. It’s this shift in perspective, from adult to teenager, in combination with Richard Outten’s script that gives the sequel such an off-beat, B-movie sense of fun and humor. That Outten was selected by Steven Spielberg to re-write Gremlins 2: The New Batch (without credit) is fitting, given that he nails that campy style well.
The dialogue is definitely the weakest point of the sequel, but there are rare moments of cheesy brilliance peppered throughout. Borrowing Jud Crandall’s catchphrase, “Sometimes, Dead is better,” and turning it into a rallying cry from the walking dead is pure, schlocky cleverness during the movie’s most outlandish, over the top climax.
The sequel also landed a talented cast, catching Anthony Edwards before he landed his breakout role on E.R. (though he’s fairly underutilized here), and landing Edward Furlong as the lead, Jeff Matthews, right after his triumph at the box office in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Furlong brings a lot more depth to his character than the screenplay offers, transitioning Jeff from a bullied teen suffering a personal loss to an inexplicably creepy kid a bit too obsessed with his mother.
The true secret weapon of Pet Sematary Two, though, is Clancy Brown. Alive, Brown’s Gus Gilbert is the epitome of machismo as town sheriff and one prick of a stepfather to Jeff’s best friend Drew. Eager to teach Drew harsh life lessons, he’s the perfect horror film jerk that serves as the launching point for Jeff and Drew playing in the old Micmac burial ground to begin with. Brown’s imposing stature makes him a perfect fit for the character as is, but when Gus finally meets his end and is resurrected it’s a highlight of the movie. Gus takes sadistic glee in his new undead life, and it’s simultaneously unnerving and humorous.
There’s a lot of gore in the sequel, too, that didn’t really exist in the first film. Oozing wounds, melting skin, shredded jugulars, and a lot more bloodshed in general. The sequel also doesn’t shy away from upping the body count on animals, either. Skinned rabbits, brutally murdered kittens, and of course, poor Zowie all meet visceral ends. The climax might actually be my favorite part, so over-the-top, bloody, and nonsensical that it reminds me of Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, and that’s meant as a compliment.
Lambert and Outten expand on the evil burial ground that plagued the Creeds, exploring how it’s haunted the town of Ludlow in the three years since their deaths. True to the sequel formula, that evil feels bigger here, manipulating the Matthews and Gilbert families as pawns with much greater ease. Lambert and Outten honor the Creeds’s story sticks to the rules set in the first film, then introduce a completely different story fitting of its protagonist’s age.
Pet Sematary Two is a flawed film with weird story logic and cheesy dialogue, but it’s also ballsy and fun. Gory practical effects, B-movie entertainment, and set around Halloween? What’s not to like? If we’re comparing the two films, of course, the original is better, but that doesn’t mean the sequel is without merit. Even the soundtrack is fun, with the Ramones returning to offer a new centerpiece song in “Poison Heart” (though admittedly not as catchy as “Pet Sematary”). This off-the-rails sequel is absolutely crazy, and that’s precisely why it’s deserving of far more love than it has gotten so far.
