Next to "Carrie," "The Shining," "Christine" and "Misery," "Cujo" is another one of my favorite Stephen King film adaptations.
The movie revolves mostly around the Trenton family: Housewife Donna, her advertiser husband Vic, and their little boy Tad. Donna is going through a rough time with Vic, since she is just ending an affair with another man. Meanwhile, the Trentons meet the Cambers, a very dysfunctional family with a beautiful Saint Bernard named Cujo. What the Trentons and the Cambers don't know is that Cujo is very sick. He has been bitten by a rabid bat, and has become a violent killing machine. So, when Donna and Tad take their 1958 Pinto to the Camber house to get it fixed, signs of leaving are minimal, since Cujo is extremely angry and has them trapped in the car, fighting for their lives.
Stephen King movies are either a hit or miss. But, despite "Misery," the earliest King films are the best ones. "Carrie," "The Shining," "Christine..." those movies were genuine and really scared you. "Cujo" is another hit in the King album. This could have been another "killer animal" movie, just the same as "Christine" could have been another "killer car" flick. But there are a lot of things going for "Cujo" that make it classic King.
"Cujo" is not a movie that has tons of "BOO!" scares. It is a film that unfolds with a slowly building tension, leaving the viewer completely on edge. While people think the scariest part of the film is seeing Cujo deteriorate, for me, the scariest part of the film is watching Donna and Tad try to escape this dog. It becomes a very emotional movie, and the characters gain your complete sympathy. I cared abut Donna and Tad, and I wanted to see them get out alive.
This film has a tremendous sense of claustrophobia. Just the idea of being in a small space while being attacked by an evil being just sends chills up the spine. I felt like Cujo was getting into the car and clawing at me. It felt that real.
The acting is magnificent. The performances of the cast come off as very believable, especially Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro as Donna and Tad.
"Cujo" is a very well-made film. It has tons of great shots, thanks to director Lewis Teague, and what great cinematography by Jan De Bont. Another intelligent aspect of the movie was me questioning whether the dog was real or not. According to Danny Pintauro, there were many different versions of the dog, including a real Saint Bernard and a man in a dog suit. And the only way to get the dog to attack the car would be to throw a plastic mouse in that had some sort of a scent.
Stephen King should be proud of the way his material was handled on film. King movies are meant for one thing only: to scare the crap out of you. And "Cujo" does that. It is a violent film, but it is also very suspenseful and smart. You'll think twice before you buy a Saint Bernard after watching this movie. In the entire collection of Stephen King hits, "Cujo" is another one for the books. Highly recommended.
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