Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: PET SEMATARY - BLOODLINES [Fantastic Fest 2023 - Austin, Texas]
In crafting an origin story, one usually needs to stick to the facts already established. "Pet Semetary: Bloodlines" is based on the precipice of evil contained created by the mind of Stephen King in his original book. Jud Crandall, played by Fred Gwynne in the original 1989 film and also as the character in the by John Lithgow, is seen her as a younger man and what made him the way he is back in 1969 in his early 20s (making it more canon to the recent reboot). It is a well worn tale about the idealism of youth betrayed by the responsibility of a family secret going back generations put to the test. All it takes is one slip up. David Duchovny as Bill is the catalyst because there is always one person that thinks it won't affect him. Duchovny seems out of place here playing a man mourning in a way for his son Timmy (Jack Mulhern) who just returned from the Vietnam War. Maybe it is the delivery but he feels more out of time than most of the other characters. Jud, played by Jackson White, is almost an entitled family kid who has been kept away from what the town of Ludlow actually is.
One person who completely gets what the film is and is likely fairly encsconced in its lore is Henry Thomas who plays Dan Crandall, Jud's father. Thomas plays the man with a world weariness but also a caring that borders on sadness. It is a hard balance to play and is what grounds the film. Pam Grier shows up as another part of the circle of protection (much like "It") bringing her signature snarkiness with serves the character well in her screen time. The other balancing act that really helps and is very key to the "Pet Semetary" legacy is the Native American connection. Manny (Forest Goodluck) and his older sister Donna (Isabella Star LaBlanc) are really the heart of the film here though one would have hoped they would have been more the center. It is understood that Jud needed to be a focus point to form the connection. But like "Prey", the connection as well as the familial loss with these siblings and their ethnic history creates the most dynamic scenes. One with Donna in a hospital is quite riveting though it could have been throttled up even more while another scene with her and Manny in a house towards the end really shows the stakes that are being played with. This film also seems that it was more a theatrical movie retooled (or re-assigned) for streaming (which is understood). There are also some flashbacks to show more of the history of Ludlow but the explanation is fairly vague despite its best efforts to be engaging. However the push of the tension does tend to work well though it is not as full of dread as the 2019 remake with Jason Clarke. B-
By Tim Wassberg
