Pet Sematary: Bloodlines - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
I’m not gonna lie to you, but when I saw that Paramount+ was going to be doing a prequel to Steven King’s Pet Sematary I rolled my eyes and was expecting the worst. First of all, DTV or Direct to Streaming movies that come years after a movie is made are never good. Not to mention the tepid 2019 remake a few years ago that wasn’t exactly lighting a fire under fan’s butts to come to the theaters. It had all the earmarks of a disjointed prequel/sequel that fans would rightfully ignore, and be just another in a long line of trash DTV horror films that take advantage of an already saturated IP. Turns out I was right, but also kind of wrong. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a straight to streaming prequel that doesn’t really re-invent the wheel, nor does it really give us something that will make it an instant classic like the 1989 original. BUUUUUUUUUUUT, it’s actually not a bad movie. Despite playing into several typical modern horror remake tropes, it is a strong enough horror film on its own that I’m willing too overlook some of the continuity errors and modern day language that plagues the film. Basically, it’s a perfectly serviceable horror prequel that kept me entertained for the short 87 minute jaunt back to Ludlow, Maine.

Set 20 years before the original (this one ignores the 2019 remake) we’re back in Ludlow, Maine where everyone is gearing up for some sort of service in the Vietnam War. Young Jud Crandall (Jackson White) has been passed over for the draft a grand total of 4 times (and is hinted that his father has paid off a doctor to keep him from getting drafted) and is now going to go off and join the Peace Corp with his girlfriend Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind), and on their way out of town nearly run over a mangy dog owned by the Baterman’s. The son, Timmy Baterman (Jack Mulhern) has recently come home from his tour, so Norma and Jud decide to return the pup to their childhood friend and say goodbye. Only thing is, the dog attacks Norma sending her to the hospital, and Jud notices that Timmy is acting REALLY weird.

Returning home and questioning his father, Jud soon finds out the the terrible town secret that has been hidden for over a century. It seems Ludlow was cursed for desecrating an Indian burial ground as one of the town’s founding fathers became undead much like the child in the 1989 film. To make matters right, the 5 founding families have stuck around in Ludlow and destroyed the demonic other realm presence that would come to life every time someone buried their pet/family member in the sour ground north of the Town. Acting as watch to make sure no one else disturbed the evil buried underneath. Now it seems that Timmy’s father Bill (David Duchovny) has done the unthinkable and brought his son back to life, despite knowing the consequences. Now it’s up to Jud and the rest of the town fore fathers to put the evil back into the ground one more time.

Honestly, the plot for Bloodlines is nothing special. It’s pretty rote and follows a fairly predictable path. We see how Jud became the wise old mentor for the original film, and also get some backstory on HOW the evil was permanently locked onto the town of Ludlow. Some of it is unnecessary and superfluous, but overall decent enough back story. The first half of the film is really the creepiest, with us watching Timmy and knowing full well WHAT he is, while Jud is still figuring it all out. The second half is a bit more traditional and straight forward, with your typical “heroes fight off the evil” that is pretty much par for the course in your standard horror movie.




Rating:

Rated R for horror violence, gore and language.




Video:

As you might have guessed from the screen grabs, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines was captured digitally and then transferred to a 4K master for the 4K UHD and this Blu-ray. I’m not sure about the 4K disc, but the Blu-ray generally looks really good. There’s some brown tinges and intentional haze added to the film to portray the late 60s, but overall it’s a crisp and well detailed digital image. Fine details and facial details look superb. Backgrounds are also warm and full of textures and life. My only real complain is that there is a metric butt ton of banding going on in dark scenes. The second things go dark the Blu-ray just bands all over the place and it’s not subtle either. However, once daylight enters the room things get markedly better. Again, it’s nothing that’s going to ruin the viewing experience, but I was surprised at how much banding was going on in dark scenes considering we were hitting 33-37 mbps bitrate when it happened.









Audio:

Paramount has put a fantastic Dolby Atmos track on both this Blu-ray and the 4K UHD, so either format will deliver the same great audio. The presentation is sublime, with clear surround usage and crisp vocals in the front of the room. The movie uses a lot of ambient atmospheric sounds out in the country (such as birds chirping, or the rustling of leaves and corn stalks as Timmy takes his first victim). The soundtrack is great, with a wide sound stage, peaking in the flashback sequence where we see the tribal chief pounding on his hide drum, giving massive low end beats to enjoy. Overall this is a great sounding mix and one that is highly nuanced with surrounds and overheads in the country setting.












Extras:

• Origins—Explore sinister origins and haunting secrets alongside David Duchovny and the cast of Pet Sematary.
• Fresh Blood— Watch as new talent embraces the Pet Sematary legacy.
• Death's Design— Unearth the chilling secrets and hidden Easter eggs that breathe life into Pet Sematary's terrifying designs.
• Method to the Madness— Go behind the scenes with Jack Mulhern and Isabella LeBlanc, who share how they prepped for their roles, including bonding with four-legged co-stars.
• War Comes Home— Enter the chilling realm of Pet Sematary as filmmakers and cast dissect the final scene, revealing the innovative technology behind its terrifying realization.

Final Score:
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No, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is not going to rival the first film, but it is a decent enough horror thriller that keeps in line with MOST of Pet Sematary lore to be entertaining and fun. I had a good time with the short film (the 87 minute runt time is probably a boon more than a hindrance in this case) and had to admit that for a direct to streaming film it wasn’t half bad. Sadly I wasn’t able to review the 4K, but the Blu-ray looks good and sounds absolutely fantastic with the Atmos track. Decent Watch is my final recommendation.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jackson White, Natalie Alyn Lind, Forrest Goodluck, David Duchvony, Pam Grier
Directed by: Lindsey Anderson Beer
Written by: Lindsey Anderson Beer, Jeff Buhllser, Stephen King (novel)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DVS
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 87 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: December 19th, 2023

Recommendation: Decent Watch