Released: 1992 Director: Mary Lambert Running time: 100 mins
I have a friend who recently told me that he’s seen the first of every series but not a single sequel. You know, I can appreciate this apprehension. Follow-ups are often unimaginative and low budget. (see: pretty much all of the Hellraiser series minus the 2nd and 3rd instalments.) Sometimes they don’t do our villains justice. We grow to disrespect the creatures we once feared. They do not always age with us and the passing of time. Or they give up, sell out, and fill their soundtracks with unbearable nu-metal.
I on the other hand love sequels despite their large window for negligent err. They’re a little obsessive; aggressive even. They’re scrappy and don’t know when to call it quits. Pet Sematary II perhaps being the scrappiest of them all.
Pet Sematary’s sequel leaves the Creed family in their final resting place beyond the thicket. This new tale introduces the story of Jeff Matthews - played by baby Edward Furlong - following the recent passing of his mother. The story begins with Jeff and Papa Chase returning to Maine where Chase accepts a position as the town veterinarian (hilarious). Jeff is scourged for being the new kid in town and as such, his only pal is resident loser Drew Gilbert. Drew, as gentle as he is round, comes from a troubled home filled with abuse and questionable boundaries at the hand of his cop step-dad. Following the death of Drew’s dog, Jeff learns of the true power in the place beyond the pet cemetery; spiralling even further into the depths of grief. In true Pet Sematary fashion the characters abuse this spooky resource to the bitter fucking end. The boys in this movie cannot stop themselves from reanimating basically everything and everyone around them. Classic.
Mary Lambert returned to direct PSII. Most of her work previous to Pet Sematary involves sick music videos she directed for musicians in the 80’s such as The Go-Gos, Madonna, and later Queensryche as well as Motley Crue. The obvious nod to her resume shines through most obviously in dream sequences and hallucinations experienced by Baby Furlong. There’s a strong emphasis on soft blue light, oversaturated whites and the babes in these moments are hella ethereal. Not a single dolly zoom in sight, though much to my dismay. There’s a lot more of what I assume is Mary’s imprint on Part II.
What’s probably most important about this sequel though, is the conceptualization of this new chapter. In the original, the Creed family seemingly exists outside of the community. Louis Creed is a doctor; working odd hours. Rachel, predominant caregiver of their two young children only leaves the house to explore the woods and then again in another instance to return home to Boston. The Creeds experience the loss of the first child quite early into their relocation to Maine as well. Their tragedy did not exactly allow for social expansion aside from their fragile relationships with Missy and Jud.
PSII however focuses on the interactions of people in the community and their connection to the cemetery. There’s a great scene that takes place on Halloween night where Drew, Jeff and a handful of The Boys post up at the cemetery to sneak beers and ciggies. During this scene, the town bully recounts the tale of the Creeds, the lore surrounding the Pet Sematary and perpetuates the story further by hinting at Ellie Creed’s current whereabouts. I love this. As I’ve said, the relationship between the lore, the cemetery itself and how the local community navigates that in their everyday lives is perfect. Further, throughout the duration of the film the townies are heard mirroring a lot of the same language used in the original. This detail, although small and seemingly insignificant, binds the original and the sequel into a solid two part series. Perhaps most notably is the recycling of the famous phrase, “dead is better”. It is amazingly executed. Finally, PSII does a remarkable job of exploring the process of grief. Ultimately, that’s what Pet Sematary is all about. It’s about people who love so deeply that they can’t fathom a day on Earth without their loved ones. It is a series about loss, pain and maladaptive behaviours. It’s about selfishness. PSII reflects these themes as well as explores perhaps a little more closely how children’s grief manifests and reanimates into slimy secrets in the attic. PSII broaches these themes with stark honesty -- It’s fucking hard to be alone and it’s really fucking hard to be mourn when you haven’t been given the space or time to learn what that exactly looks like.
Now it probably goes without saying that Pet Sematary II does not - and could not - hold a candle to the first when directly compared. However, in terms of a sequel? Remarkable! Much like Jeff and Drew, Pet Sematary II at first glance is indelible bully-bait. However, it is undervalued in what it actually drags home at the end of the day. Do yourself a gentle favour and swing by the cemetery this weekend for yourself. I think with a little bit of digging, you’ll find something more than just Baby Ed’s sick cowlick to love.
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