Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 23, 2023

Over the past few years there has suddenly been renewed cinematic interest in the world of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, one of the author's seminal Horror novels that was made into a pretty good 1989 feature film that did well to capture the horrific atmosphere and narrative excellence of King's written work. That resurgence led to a pedestrian remake in 2019 and, now Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, a story that takes place a couple of decades prior to the remake's timeline. This new film went straight to streaming (remember the "good old days" when it was "straight to video?") and, even if it offers a few interesting ideas and builds a backstory for Jud Crandall and the larger world of Ludlow, Maine, the film feels superfluous yet at the same time delivers a serviceable time killing watch that will not redefine anyone's appreciation for the original (either in film or written form) but at least allow audiences to maybe see the original in a slightly different light.

The year is 1969; the place is Ludlow, Maine; the backdrop is the Vietnam War; and the person is Jud Crandall (Jackson White). As so many of his contemporaries are drafted into the war, Jud and his girlfriend Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind) are on their way out of town to join the Peace Corp. On their way out of town, they nearly run over an old, mangy dog that they attempt to return home to its owner, Timmy (Jack Mulhern), a recently returned Vietnam veteran. Unfortunately, the dog mauls Norma's arm, and Timmy blankly watches from behind his screen door. That sets in motion the discovery of deeply buried secrets in and around Ludlow and sets the stage for a confrontation between unwilling and unprepared heroes and deeply rooted evil.

Lindsey Anderson Beer co-writes (along with Jeff Buhler) and directs the film with no perceptible input from Stephen King apart from running with his original ideas in not necessarily a new direction but certainly in a way that expands the story as it points towards the more familiar tale told in the 2019 work. The film works as intended, but just enough to carry the name and the write some of its history. Apart from its efforts to tell a story in the franchise's past (with the 2019 film, not the 1989 film, as its anchor), the film is a weak vessel of ineffective Horror elements that, at best, play with a certain "been there, done that" look and feel and, at worst, seem poorly conceived and wrenched into the production because a Pet Sematary film should have certain components whether they really serve the story or the really build the larger world or not. The film is certainly not in shambles -- it's competently assembled form a technical nature -- but it is definitely wanting something more profoundly disturbing beyond the retread elements and halfhearted efforts to connect this film to the other, or even to King's original world; much of the film is based on a very brief mention in King's original novel.

The film also struggles beyond its so-so narrative value with its so-so technical value. Some of the support digital effects lack the sense of absolute ooey-gooey gory practical elements that were so effective in the original 1989 film, but that's just the nature of the beast, so to speak, in the world of 2023 lower budget genre fare. What really doesn't work here is, one, choppy editing, and two, underperforming actors. Even at 87 minutes, with credits, Bloodlines struggles to hold an efficient pace, offering instead bursts of goodness within a larger slog of slowdown content that doesn't hold narrative value or audience interest. The film could have been condensed down another 10-15 minutes and been much better for it, at least within the prism of its current script. The acting is flat and uninspired, even from some screen veterans like David Duchovny, Samantha Mathis, and Pam Grier, all of whom largely phone in their work but, to their credit (and to everyone's credit), the characters are not so well built on the page so as to translate all that well to the screen. One exception is Forrest Goodluck as Manny, who builds and performs a somewhat compelling character and works hard to translate a two-dimensional character into more of a three-dimensional human being with real life in his blood, real emotions in his heart, and real fear in his soul.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Paramount's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines looks terrific. The image was digitally captured and the UHD presents the material with a crisp and clean digital sheen with nary any noise to impede a silky-smooth image. It's clean and efficient with high yield details and well capable elements to faces and the 60s attire and location details. The production design springs to life with fantastic depth and clarity, and the natural elements around the title location come to life with a tangible depth and complexity that effortlessly pull the audience into the place. The UHD cannot quite reach the level of absolute intricacy and excellence as the finest on the format but make no mistake that this is a superior image that captures just about all of the robust textural excellence the source has to offer. The Dolby vision grading proves very natural with robust, yet not overcooked or overstated, colors on display. Blood red is a fine example of the grading's prowess to deliver finely tuned depth and vibrancy, while natural greens, various clothing colors, and other elements sparkle with a depth and accuracy that suit the time period well. Black levels are wonderfully deep and skin tones look natural. As noted, noise is not an issue, and there are no obvious encode anomalies, either. Fans are definitely getting the best home viewing experience with this issue of the film.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount releases Pet Sematary: Bloodlines to the UHD format with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The presentation is excellent, offering stable content with clear elements and healthy immersion. While much of that immersion comes by way of light atmosphere in town or out in the country, there is always a tangible sense of place that effortlessly draws the listener into the proceedings. The soundtrack is at its best during a ritual midway through the film where heavy percussive drum beats present with nicely balanced depth and clarity, supported by wonderfully attuned and presented atmospheric effects. Indeed, cracking woods, light breezes, and other natural elements are perfectly integrated with gentle top end support to boot. Some heavier gunshots ring out with good power, too. Music is expressive and nicely detailed, especially the era-specific tunes that play throughout the film. While more front heavy than surround intensive, there is, like everything else, nice balance to the musical engagement. Dialogue is problem free and presented in a natural front center orientation.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines contains a few extras. No Blu-ray copy is included, but Paramount does bundle in a digital copy voucher. No slipcover is included with the UHD.

• Origins (1080p, 10:16): Looking at King's work and this film's connection to the original novel, the fans desire for more, and this film's building of mythology tied to the remake of 2019's Pet Sematary, not the 1989 film.
• Fresh Blood (1080p, 12:02): Exploring Lindsey Anderson Beer's direction as well as casting and characters.
• Death's Design (1080p, 9:16): Exploring some of the technical details and aesthetics behind the shoot.
• Method to the Madness (1080p, 11:07): This piece looks more closely at the full spectrum of Jack Mulhern's work as Timmy Baterman. It also looks at the performance animals, cinematography, gore effects, and more.
• War Comes Home (1080p, 12:25): Exploring the town guardians, the film's finale, and other key moments.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines delivers, at best, a mediocre genre watch that aims to build the lore behind Pet Sematary, a story that is admittedly rich with lore but that here feels less compelling than might have something with more historical bite to it. The film will not redefine anyone's perspectives on or appreciation for the original work, which are the two death sentences for a movie like this. It's passably entertaining, but that's mild praise indeed. Perhaps King himself will one day revisit the world and give audiences the true expositional narration that the world demands. Paramount's UHD does deliver strong video and audio along with a few good extras. Buy when it's on a steep sale.