Pet Sematary

In the original theatrical ending of Pet Sematary, Louis Creed chases his resurrected daughter Ellie to the burial site, where she is dragging her injured mother Rachel behind her. In a tense confrontation, Ellie tries to manipulate her father through her pleading, ultimately convincing Louis to choose not to kill her again. This decision triggers a chain reaction: Louis, Ellie, Rachel, and eventually Gage all die and are resurrected—each time more tragic—that ultimately traps them in a cycle of horror. Although devastating, this ending is slightly more restrained.

The alternate ending, however, takes a darker turn. It follows the same basic setup, with Louis following Ellie to the graveyard, but here he is deeper in his grief and guilt. Instead of being stabbed by Rachel after her resurrection, Louis is overwhelmed by Ellie’s pleading and the sight of Rachel still alive but injured in an open grave. In a moment driven by his grief and obsession, Louis decides to bury Rachel alive against her will, promising her they will be a family again. His love and anguish cloud his judgment as he makes this tragic choice, fully convinced that reuniting his family justifies any horror. As Louis begins to bury her, she protests and screams in terror, but he is too consumed by grief to reason. This version implies that Louis, in his grief, would have gone on to do the same to Gage, sealing his own tragic fate. The ending is bleak and disturbing, emphasizing how grief can distort reality and lead to destruction, making it a deeply chilling reflection of the novel’s dark themes.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:00