Pet Sematary II: Messy, but Devon Sawa's Performance Deserves a Nod

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Pet Sematary II. Let's be real, it's no Citizen Kane. The plot kinda jumps the shark almost immediately. Like, the whole Hollywood accident thing felt tacked on, and the resurrected Gus – yikes. Talk about over-the-top. But I gotta say, even amidst the madness, Devon Sawa actually delivers a pretty compelling performance as Jeff. He really sells the grief and the feeling of being an outsider. I mean, that scene where he's confronting his dad about his mom… you can feel the vulnerability radiating off him. Edward Furlong's in this too, and while he's doing his best angsty teen thing, Drew's arc just feels… underdeveloped? It's supposed to be this story about two boys dealing with trauma, but it feels like the zombie dog and Clancy Brown being absolutely terrifying (seriously, that voice!) kinda swallowed everything else whole. I think if they'd leaned more into exploring the boys' relationship and less into the gore for the sake of gore, it could have been something more. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good bit of schlocky horror, and there are definitely some memorable moments (that bike scene, anyone?). Its kinda a guilty pleasure type movie, for sure not high art. Overall, Pet Sematary II is a mess, but a fascinating mess. It's worth watching at least once, if only to appreciate how hard Devon Sawa was working to give a grounded performance in such a bonkers movie. Any thoughts on his performance or the movie overall? Hit me up!