New ‘Pet Sematary’ takes a deeper exploration of grief

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The new “Pet Sematary” has familiar elements of Stephen King’s classic 1983 novel and earlier film adaptations, namely the haunted graveyard where the dead are buried but return as murderous incarnations of their former selves.

But the newest iteration goes beyond the supernatural premise. It delves into the impact of grief after death strikes the Creeds, a family of four who relocates from Boston to rural Maine hoping for a less stressful life. There, the father discovers a cemetery in the woods near the family’s new home that harbors dark powers.

“Pet Sematary,” in theaters on Friday, is the second adaption after the original film was released with critical success 30 years ago. The remake’s directors say they wanted to stay true to the source material, but also add their own twists.