Fantastic Fest Continues With The Paramount+ Exclusive Horror Prequel ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ (2023)
One of the most wonderful and exciting times for horror fans is happening now and Macabre Daily is your go to source for Fantastic Fest 2023 coverage! This year, a terrifyingly terrific selection of the team here at Macabre Daily have been invited to participate in a series of virtual screenings premiering at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. This year’s selection of films ranges from the darkly comedic to the dreadfully macabre (pun intended for our ghoulish readers out there) and all things fantastic in between. Check out the review below for the Paramount + exclusive ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ coming to the streaming service on October 6th.
‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ has a stunning and very talented cast. The movie stars Henry Thomas, Samantha Mathis, Natalie Alyn, David Duchovny, Pam Grier, Jack Mulhern, Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, and Isabella LaBlanc. The movie is written/directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer and also written by Jeff Buhler. The synopsis for this movie is as follows:
“In 1969, a young Jud Crandall has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine behind, but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to Ludlow. Banding together, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding, and once unearthed has the power to destroy everything in its path. Based on the never before told chapter from ‘Pet Sematary’, Stephen King’s chilling novel, ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ is a spine-tingling prequel exploring the origins of how death became different in the small town of Ludlow and why sometimes dead is better…”
Some people may be skeptical when it comes to prequels of a great original movie, especially horror but ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ exceeded all expectations within the first few minutes of watching it. The story of how Jud Crandall became the neighborly older man to the Creed family has been a wonder to many of us horror fans, even when the original 1989 film debuted (as well as when the book was first initially released). We wondered how this old man became the keeper of the secrets of Ludlow. Thankfully ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ answers those questions and then some.
This movie gives an insightful view of the life of a young Jud Crandall (portrayed by Jackson White), his girlfriend Norma (portrayed by Natalie Alyn Lind), Jud’s father Dan (portrayed by Henry Thomas), and his mother (portrayed by Samantha Mathis) and the citizens of Ludlow. Not only do we get a big look into the lives of these main characters, but we are also shown the inner torture going on with Bill (portrayed by David Duchovny) and the return of his son Timmy (portrayed by Jack Mulhern) thanks to the ancient burial ground that was once used by the Mi’kmaq Tribe. Not only that but we are given a glimpse into the burden that some of the families who descended from the original settlers have to take upon themselves. Jud’s father Dan, the town mail carrier Majorie (portrayed by Pam Grier), and others have made it their crusade to take on their ancestor's mission to keep the town of Ludlow safe.
Every moment of the story this movie unravels is just as enjoyable and keeps you on the edge of your seat as any of Stephen King’s cinematic or literary works. The tragedy that follows something as saddening as losing a son to the casualties that war brings being the biggest catalyst to getting the terror started in this movie really was a great homage to how impactful the original story that Jud Crandall tells Louis Creed in the original movie/book. The burden of a parent doing anything they can to have a little more time with their child is as painful as when Louis Creed brought back Gage in the original film. It is a sad and tragic event that pushes him on the edge to bring his son back (or in the remake his daughter) and you can really see the heavy heart that David Duchovny’s character has to feel with that from the very start of the movie.
Not only that, but the fact that Jud and Norma are trying their best to leave the town of Ludlow in their rearview mirror only to be drawn back right away shines the burden that Jud Crandall carries into his old age in the original films. There is also the factor of how insane things get with Timmy being brought back by his father using the power of the ancient burial grounds. The whole time watching this movie you are just waiting for when the next terrifying thing to happen, feel that moment that you’re safe and then get that yanked away from you with the immense terror that comes with not leaving the dead where they belong.
I was very impressed with the original take on a classic tale that this movie took. Not only was it as scary as the original, but added a lot of its own terrifying moments that warrants rewatches for many Halloween seasons to come. The way that we see how Jud Crandall became (in some ways) the town’s protector to even a further back story and a glimpse at the original settlers dealing with the ancient burial grounds themselves. There were moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but then scare you enough to recoil back with the tense joy we horror fans love to feel when we watch these kinds of movies.
The storyline was not the only thing that was very enjoyable about this movie. The way that the director Lindsey Anderson Beer shot the entire movie was a beautifully cinematic look into the intense madness you would probably see if you were a citizen of Ludlow yourself. Each shot, close-up, establishing shots and more were insight into the talent she has to make this movie the classic it will become. Directors show us their visual perspectives each time a movie is made. It’s a whimsical storybook of cinematic admiration that makes us all fans of movies (especially fans of horror movies) and Lindsey Anderson Beer is well on her way to being one of the great horror directors. This movie is very easily proof of that.
Not only was I impressed with the seasoned actors in this movie, but was also blown away with the way Forrest Goodluck and Isabella LaBlanc took these roles and truly made it their own. They not only represented their characters with such talent and grace, but they also represented their heritage within this film. I really love when people are properly represented not only in horror movies, but really any movie. The writing of this movie helped set the foundation for how each character should be portrayed when the movie goes to the big screen, but they really gave one hell of a performance. Not just them, but truly I was impressed with everyone’s portrayal in this movie. It is jam-packed with so much talent, horror, gore, and terrifying moments that you are going to want to watch it more than once. If you’re like me when you see a horror movie as great as this it becomes part of your must-see horror recommendations, and it will be one I will very much recommend to any horror fan out there.
‘Pet Sematary: Bloodlines’ from writer/director Lindsey Anderson Beer will be exclusively available on Paramount + October 6th. Whether you have a subscription to this amazing streaming service or not, you are not going to want to miss out on this one. This is one of many great films premiering at Fantastic Fest this year that Macabre Daily will be covering. Stay tuned for more coverage here and on our social media pages.
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