Following the unforgettable death of his mother, Jeff attempts to spiritually connect with her through a ritualistic process, referred to as “brinking.” Joined by two additional internet friends – Francis and Zara – Jeff decides to expand upon his public collection of dare-devilish viral videos by filming and documenting the entire process. Furthermore, Jeff manages to pressure and convince his sister, Lily (a current student majoring in nursing), to monitor the lives of the three participants as they attempt to induce asphyxiation (by “brinking“), which then guides them to an afterlife void. Subsequently, those whom enter this realm are allowed to interact with the last person that they thought and spoke of, granted these souls that have passed on are surely not alone.

Have you ever wanted to speak to a loved one that has passed on from the face of this earth? Do you ever imagine the first words that you would share with that person and/or the initial physical response that you would execute? Pet Graveyard – directed by Rebecca Matthews (Deadly Water and Reign of Chaos) and written by Suzy Spade (End Game and The Viking War) – is a new horror film crafted to explore these ideas very closely. Overall, this film was composed very nicely and I genuinely enjoyed watching it all the way through.

Pet Graveyard opens with a scene illustrating a woman that is emotionally distraught, desperately attempting to save the life of her partner in an auto-body shop. As one of the female employees is confronted with this situation, she attempts to assist in any way possible; however, her efforts were far too late. Flashing forward in time, we are introduced to Lily (Jessica Otoole) who is struggling to keep her mind focused in college, as a result of her mother’s recent death. Following a small exchange with one of Lily’s professors, we are then introduced to her impulsive brother, Jeff (David Cotter), who decides to cope with his mother’s passing by living life dangerously and performing life-threatening stunts for attention on video content platforms.

The plot remains intriguing and suspenseful and the cast commits heavily to their assigned roles. Seeing actors lend themselves toward portraying a character entirely well leads to a huge success point in a film. That is where the character interactions: Lily, Jeff, Zara, and Francis exceed tremendously well. In return, we are lead through a spine chilling journey to the land of the afterlife and the unknown mysteries that lie within.

Even though “brinking” is not a real practice and should never be attempted by anyone, it is undoubtedly an interesting and unique concept in order to establish contact with the deceased. I must also commend the grisly violence and gore throughout the length of this film. Beware, the Grim Reaper is NOT to be messed with! He will not hesitate hacking and slashing away at every bone in your body.

Without spoiling too much of what this incredible production has to offer, be sure to check it out following the initial release on April 2nd, 2019.