The world premiere of Pet Sematary, an adaptation of the creepy novel from horror master Stephen King has been met with praise, after it was screened at the SXSW film festival yesterday (16 March).

Movie critics and fans took to social media to voice their feelings on the long-awaited first screening.

Perri Nemiroff, who reviewed the film for Collider, tweeted after watching the movie:

“Pet Semetary is vicious and I LOVED it. Super brutal visuals and was thrilled to see Widmyer & Kölsch fully embrace the deeply unsettling themes of mortality from the book. And WOW Jeté Laurence. They really pushed it with this adaptation & it worked for me – big time.”

#PetSematary is *vicious* and I LOVED it. Super brutal visuals and was thrilled to see Widmyer & Kölsch fully embrace the deeply unsettling themes of mortality from the book. And WOW Jeté Laurence. They really pushed it with this adaptation & it worked for me – big time. 😺 #sxsw — Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) March 17, 2019





Read more: Pet Sematary – true horror

Film critic Rafael Motamayor tweeted: “Pet Semetary is a hoot and a half! Super dark, twisted, gory, and surprisingly funny! More of a dark comedy than the original movie, and it all works once the fucked up third act kicks in. The cast is fantastic. Jeté Laurence is a revelation!”

#PetSematary is a hoot and a half! Super dark, twisted, gory, and surprisingly funny! More of a dark comedy than the original movie, and it all works once the fucked up third act kicks in. The cast is fantastic. Jeté Laurence is a revelation! What a way to end #SXSW — Rafael Motamayor @ SXSW (@GeekWithAnAfro) March 17, 2019





Preston Barta, who reviewed the film for Fresh Fiction, compared the film to another Stephen King adaptation: “Holy hell! Not only does it greatly improve upon the original film, but it manages to reach Kubrick/SHINING level heights! I was terrified, blown away and impressed.”

#PetSematary (2019). Holy hell! Not only does it greatly improve upon the original film, but it manages to reach Kubrick/SHINING level heights! I was terrified, blown away and impressed. #SXSW — Preston Barta @ SXSW (@PrestonBarta) March 17, 2019





With just 14 official critical notices published online for Pet Sematary, the film’s rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently stands at a largely positive 86%.

The movie, directed by Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch, centres around a big-city doctor who moves with his family to rural Maine. Little do they know, there is a nearby cemetery for dead pets which is slightly more than meets the eye.





The novel, written by King in 1983, is widely regarded as on of the writers creepier works. It was first adapted in 1989, with Mary Lambert in the director’s chair.

The newest version, starring John Lithgow and Jason Clarke, will be released in the UK on 4 April.