Though it got mixed reviews from audiences, Pet Sematary's 2019 remake was, overall, a worthy adaptation of its source material; the alternate ending, however, was so tragic and dark that it might have won over more hardcore King fans if it had been the chosen finale.
While many films do have alternate endings, the one that ultimately makes it into the theatrical cut of a film typically depends on numbers and test audiences. For Pet Sematary's remake, the alternate cut was originally one that writers Matt Greenberg and Jeff Buhler wanted. The film's directors, Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, said they liked the alternate ending more because it was "the sadder one". According to Kölsch and Widmyer, Pet Sematary's alternate ending is one that needs time to resonate with audiences over an ending that is a straight snap to the point just before the credits roll. It's a bit more cerebral, which tends to be hit or miss with audiences who prefer a clear-cut ending.
Few movies are perfect, but Pet Sematary's shockingly dark alternate ending seems like it may have been a missed opportunity to really dig deep into one of King's arguably bleakest works and resurrect it from some of the dislike it got after its initial release.
Pet Sematary 2019's Alternate Ending Explained
In the theatrical ending, Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) follows his dead daughter, Ellie (Jeté Laurence) to the cemetery as she drags her injured mother, Rachel (Amy Seimetz) presumably to bury her in the cursed burial grounds. Louis and Ellie fight, and Ellie tries to play on her father's weakness and guilt about her being brought back to life by adopting a pleading tone, which ultimately leads to his decision not to finish her off and kill her for good. From there, a series of chain reactions results in the whole family - yes, even Gage - being killed and resurrected so they can continue their lives together on the other side of the mortal coil. It's a tragic ending, certainly, but it's not as dark as it could have been.
The alternate ending of Pet Sematary follows the same basic set-up with Louis following Ellie to the burial grounds as she's dragging her mother, who is still injured, behind her. This time, instead of Louis being stabbed by Rachel after she's been resurrected, Louis falls for Ellie's pleading in a different way. Ellie serves as more of a reflection of Louis' own recognizance as he allows guilt to consume him and decides to take Rachel's burial into his own hands. Rachel, who isn't yet dead, lays in the open grave that has been dug for her with large stacks of rocks on either side. She is injured, but perhaps not gravely so, but Louis decides her fate - and his family's fate - for them in the last few moments of the ending sequence.
"I'll love you forever," Louis promises his wife, who is shuddering in pain and obviously terror as to the horrific situation she's found herself in. Then, Louis stands and is joined by Ellie as Rachel utters her dissent, and promises that they'll all be a family again. This ending implies that Rachel understands her fate right before Louis decides to bury her alive and forcibly resurrect her against her will; he's so consumed by grief that he has made the choice to bring his family back together, no matter the cost. It's the fate of someone who is too far gone to reason, and implies that Louis must have then gone back to do the same to Gage, and brought about his own end, too. There's no clean-cut ending in this alternate version of Pet Sematary, but it gives audiences a greater understanding of grief, which is sometimes wholly illogical, and is very in-line with the themes of Stephen King's book.