In 1983, Stephen King reluctantly published his most disturbing (outside of IT that followed 3 years later) novel about the title place that resurrects the dead but with dire consequences. King adapted the 1989 screenplay for Mary Lambert that resulted in a faithful but hardly terrifying (except for the reanimated Miko Hughes as Gage Creed) version of the novel. However as the Chicago Tribune review for this 2019 remake pointed out was the '89 film honed in the themes of grief and consequences for Louis' Creed's actions while the new film is more analytical with the concept of the afterlife and its possible existence. Terrific criticism and of the many stark differences between the films (and the book too).
For a quick recap that is now a story as old as time in the King literary world, the Creed family moves to little old Ludlow, Maine, find the title burial and horrible tragedies ensue with deadly consequences when the family patriarch makes a fateful decision to cope with his grief.
While the 1989 cast was virtually wooden or whiny, actors Fred Gwynne and little Miko Hughes stood out as Jud Crandall and Gage Creed respectively. Here a more emotive and capable cast turns in decent though so-so performances. Jason Clarke as Dr. Louis Creed definitely brings more emotion than predecessor Dale Midkiff, but the actor does struggle with his emotions of grief upon the death of one of his children. While he does shed a tear at the funeral, the sadness fades quickly as he shifts immediately to the decision that will ruin his life for good. However Clarke has a more believable chemistry with his on-screen wife compared to Midkiff and Denise Crosby as Louis and Rachel do come across as loving, but at odds with their views on death as Rachel struggles with her trauma regarding her late sister. Speaking of Rachel Creed, actress Amy Seimatz shines brightly with a more accurate Rachel compared to Denise Crosby. Seimatz brings out Rachel's fear of death and trauma more realistically as she suffers nightmares and visual hallucinations matching PTSD. Poor Rachel still suffers the same gruesome fate as the novel gives her at the hands of her beloved child. For the newcomer to the role of Ellie Creed, young Jete Laurence brings a unique spin to the eldest Creed child. Far from the annoying and whiny mess of the '89 film, Laurence is precocious, smart and ultimately ill-fated. Now if you haven't the spoiler-y second trailer or the film, Ellie becomes the undead Creed child as opposed to her brother in the original film and novel. However this doesn't detract from Laurence having to 'play dead' for the rest of the film. Initially Ellie seems oddly normal after her return, but quickly turns menacing and violent the next day as she terrorizes her father and then her two victims. The actress even reverts to her sweet girl façade briefly at the climactic showdowns with her parents, but we and her family know what a monster she is now. Finally there is the underused John Lithgow inheriting the role of Jud Crandall. The film veteran brings a grizzled and worldly look that varies on Fred Gwynne's farmer-like look from the '89 film. However Lithgow tries his best to be the catalyst for the events of the film, but his role is significantly reduced compared to his predecessor and is ultimately only a victim rather than the complex figure King created on the page or the humbly remorseful man Gwynne played using King's prose well. It is not Lithgow's fault we don't get to feel so much for Jud as he does what he can with so little material to craft the character any King knows.
Can we ban Jeff Buehler from writing horror films now? After making the bland and cliché 'Truth or Dare' last spring, this director became the screenwriter of this adaptation. However Buehler heavily misses the core themes of what makes this King book one of the most disturbing ever. The story is about grief, death and its effects on the human psyche and of course the Frankenstein morale of man playing God and its horrific consequences, but Buehler turns this movie into "Does the afterlife exist?" which is not what King even touches in the book. While Louis does engage in the act of burying Ellie in his grief, the consequences are not nearly as impactful as the original book or even the 1989 film. It turns into a quick beat slasher and hurries to the end which leaves much to be desired. However one element that Buehler gets right is including the Wendigo and its legend (though toned down to the violent aspects of the legend) which any reader of the book knows is the heart of the evil behind the cemetery.
For a quick recap that is now a story as old as time in the King literary world, the Creed family moves to little old Ludlow, Maine, find the title burial and horrible tragedies ensue with deadly consequences when the family patriarch makes a fateful decision to cope with his grief.
While the 1989 cast was virtually wooden or whiny, actors Fred Gwynne and little Miko Hughes stood out as Jud Crandall and Gage Creed respectively. Here a more emotive and capable cast turns in decent though so-so performances. Jason Clarke as Dr. Louis Creed definitely brings more emotion than predecessor Dale Midkiff, but the actor does struggle with his emotions of grief upon the death of one of his children. While he does shed a tear at the funeral, the sadness fades quickly as he shifts immediately to the decision that will ruin his life for good. However Clarke has a more believable chemistry with his on-screen wife compared to Midkiff and Denise Crosby as Louis and Rachel do come across as loving, but at odds with their views on death as Rachel struggles with her trauma regarding her late sister. Speaking of Rachel Creed, actress Amy Seimatz shines brightly with a more accurate Rachel compared to Denise Crosby. Seimatz brings out Rachel's fear of death and trauma more realistically as she suffers nightmares and visual hallucinations matching PTSD. Poor Rachel still suffers the same gruesome fate as the novel gives her at the hands of her beloved child. For the newcomer to the role of Ellie Creed, young Jete Laurence brings a unique spin to the eldest Creed child. Far from the annoying and whiny mess of the '89 film, Laurence is precocious, smart and ultimately ill-fated. Now if you haven't the spoiler-y second trailer or the film, Ellie becomes the undead Creed child as opposed to her brother in the original film and novel. However this doesn't detract from Laurence having to 'play dead' for the rest of the film. Initially Ellie seems oddly normal after her return, but quickly turns menacing and violent the next day as she terrorizes her father and then her two victims. The actress even reverts to her sweet girl façade briefly at the climactic showdowns with her parents, but we and her family know what a monster she is now. Finally there is the underused John Lithgow inheriting the role of Jud Crandall. The film veteran brings a grizzled and worldly look that varies on Fred Gwynne's farmer-like look from the '89 film. However Lithgow tries his best to be the catalyst for the events of the film, but his role is significantly reduced compared to his predecessor and is ultimately only a victim rather than the complex figure King created on the page or the humbly remorseful man Gwynne played using King's prose well. It is not Lithgow's fault we don't get to feel so much for Jud as he does what he can with so little material to craft the character any King knows.
Can we ban Jeff Buehler from writing horror films now? After making the bland and cliché 'Truth or Dare' last spring, this director became the screenwriter of this adaptation. However Buehler heavily misses the core themes of what makes this King book one of the most disturbing ever. The story is about grief, death and its effects on the human psyche and of course the Frankenstein morale of man playing God and its horrific consequences, but Buehler turns this movie into "Does the afterlife exist?" which is not what King even touches in the book. While Louis does engage in the act of burying Ellie in his grief, the consequences are not nearly as impactful as the original book or even the 1989 film. It turns into a quick beat slasher and hurries to the end which leaves much to be desired. However one element that Buehler gets right is including the Wendigo and its legend (though toned down to the violent aspects of the legend) which any reader of the book knows is the heart of the evil behind the cemetery.
