One of 2026’s most anticipated horror movies, which boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, is interestingly inspired by the same classic story that drives Stephen King‘s scariest book.
While it is arguable which Stephen King book is the best in terms of delivering both chills and thrills, King has often cited Pet Sematary as one of his scariest novels. The author himself was afraid of getting the book published and had stopped writing it midway because it deeply terrified him. He only completed it because of contractual obligations, later admitting that the story felt too dark and close to home.
As original as Pet Sematary may seem with its portrayal of grief and the “careful what you wish for” trope, the book was inspired by a classic 124-year-old story. The same story now serves as the inspiration behind one of 2026’s most hyped horror movies.
Stephen King’s Pet Sematary & Curry Barker’s Obsession Are Inspired By Monkey’s Paw
Curry Barker’s Obsession is expected to be one of the best horror movies of 2026. After its early premiere, the movie has earned rave reviews from critics and has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%. The movie focuses on a hopelessly romantic man who wishes to win his crush’s heart after breaking a mysterious “One Wish Willow.“
With what follows, he soon learns the terrible price of not being careful about what he wished for. Stephen King’s Pet Sematary is not a cautionary tale about chasing one’s desires. However, it also riffs on the same “careful what you wish for” trope by portraying the consequences of reversing death.
The thematic parallels between the Curry Barker movie and the Stephen King story are not coincidental. Both draw inspiration from W.W. Jacobs’ horror short story, The Monkey’s Paw, which was first published in 1902. Stephen King’s Pet Sematary even draws a direct reference to the story when the main character, Louis Creed, explicitly thinks about it:
“And suddenly Louis found himself thinking of the story of the monkey’s paw, and a cold terror slipped into him.”
Curry Barker, too, has confirmed (via Variety) that his inspiration for Obsession came when he watched an episode of The Simpsons in which “Bart gets a monkey paw and causes a bunch of chaos.”
Stephen King’s Pet Sematary seems closer to the classic horror story in terms of storytelling because, like Monkey’s Paw, it also focuses on themes of grief and death. Obsession, on the other hand, brings a more terrifyingly romantic spin to the original story by capturing how some wishes are better left unfulfilled.
Yet, owing to their similar inspirations, Pet Sematary and Obsession find some narrative common ground in their exploration of how the cost of forcing fate to bend rarely outweighs the consequences that follow.
Pet Sematary’s Movies Have Been Underwhelming, But Obsession Looks Perfect
Unfortunately, even though Stephen King considers Pet Sematary one of his scariest books, most of its adaptations and franchise extensions have been underwhelming. The 1989 movie adaptation has somewhat of a cult following after all these years, but it was met with a mixed reception when it first premiered. The movie managed to be profitable at the box office but struggled to rank among the better adaptations of King’s works.
Its sequel, Pet Sematary Two, was not only panned by critics but also turned out to be a box office failure.
In 2019, a new Pet Sematary adaptation saw the light of day, but it proved to be another box office hit with low critical scores. Even its prequel could not redeem the franchise and do justice to the brilliant source material.
While Pet Sematary‘s legacy remains rooted in the haunting power of its original story, its on-screen adaptations have rarely captured the same terrors as the source material.
Fortunately, Curry Barker’s Obsession seems to be nothing like the movie adaptations of the Stephen King book. The movie has earned almost unanimous acclaim so far, and it delivers some incredibly memorable and chilling sequences in its early trailers. If all goes well for the horror movie, it might even be hailed as the best film of the genre in 2026.
“Pet Sematary” is a horror franchise based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel. It focuses on a burial ground with the power to resurrect the dead, though those revived return as twisted versions of their former selves. The stories often explore themes of grief, the consequences of tampering with death, and the dark allure of second chances. The franchise has spawned several film adaptations, including remakes and prequels, maintaining its place as a staple of supernatural horror.