20 Perfect Scenes In God-Awful Horror Movies
11. The Bathtub - Pet Sematary (2019)
The first adaptation of Stephen King's novel was far from perfect, but still managed to be deeply atmospheric and unsettling.
2019's Pet Sematery, on the other hand, revels in horror tropes, including excessive CGI, ineffective jump-scares, exposition-heavy dialogue, and unnecessary changes to the source material.
However, one moment that's sure to rattle anyone is the bathtub scene. After Louis's daughter, Ellie, is killed, he resurrects her by burying her remains in the cursed cemetery. While giving her a bath, Louis brush Ellie's hair, as the child stares vacantly in the distance.
The brush gets jammed in Ellie's matted hair, causing it to come out in clumps. Now she has a bald spot on the back of her head, Louis can see the stitching in her skull that was performed post-mortem. Adding to the atmosphere, the camera cuts to Ellie's emotionless expression, her right eye drooped, and her face covered in blackish veins.
Although Louis has been denial over Ellie's death, it's during this moment when he realises this isn't the same little girl he loved.
The way the scene is built up, it looks like there's going to be a bloody or gory reveal. Though Ellie's stitched head is disturbing, the sequence focuses on Louis' heartbreak, making this moment more hard-hitting.