Cujo - A Movie Review

There’s no such thing as monsters - only in stories.

Based on the novel by Stephen King, Cujo is a 1983 film adaptation. Cujo was once a friendly St. Bernard until he contracts rabies. Donna Trenton and her young son are trapped by the vicious dog in their car during a blazing heatwave.

Cujo was the first Stephen King book I ever read when I was thirteen. Cujo is a terrifying film. Nobody wants to get stuck in this nightmare. Cujo is a lesson about bravery, survival, and getting car repairments sooner rather than later.

Dee Wallace’s commendable performance as Donna Trenton is one of her best roles in my opinion. She read the character very well. Wallace said so much through her eyes, expressing the inner turmoils of her mistakes. Donna is an integral character, learning what she is truly capable of.

Donna proves that she is a great mother. In the fight of her life, she protects her son in this horrible situation. Wallace has been praised in her role for capturing difficult moments as a parent. She defined incredible authenticity, terror, and bravery. Wallace was outstanding, most notably in the final half of the film.

I actually believed that Danny Pintauro was really scared. For a young child actor, Pintauro proved himself to be an incredible actor in his movie debut. At times, Tad got on my nerves with his incessant screaming and crying. Then again, who wouldn’t be screaming in this situation?

The dynamic of the Trenton family is important. Learning a terrible secret that strains their relationship, Vic (Daniel Hugh Kelly) proves that he is a good husband and father. Tad’s role reflects child innocence, and how Vic and Donna interact with each other.

Other credits to include are Christopher Stone, Ed Lautner, Kaiulani Lee, Billy Jayne, Mills Watson, Sandy Ward, and a number of dogs used to play the vicious Cujo.

Cujo succeeds at transforming a dog into a monster-like rabid creature. Five dogs, a mechanical head, and a guy in a dog suit performed frightening sequences of the dog growling, attacking a car, or just being plain vicious.

Unlike the nasty Cujo, the tails of the dog actors had to be tied down to prevent from wagging. Which stims a question. Is Cujo really the villain? Think about that.

Readers and viewers of the film have commented about the long-winded dramas that take up most of the story before the actual terror. Up until my most recent watch, I agreed. Cujo is not just about Cujo. The family dramas of the Trenton’s or the dynamics of other characters are essential to unfold.

Not every detail makes it to the big screen, but I would have liked to have seen more of the dynamic between the Cambers. In the book, they have a bigger role. Arguably, I am satisfied with the final results of their scenes because it is more of the Trenton’s story.

Supposedly an intense summer heatwave actually took place in the colder months. The believability of the hot weather is sold from Wallace and Pintauro’s acting.

Lewis Teague brought out the horrors of Cujo. Stephen King liked the film version more than his own book! Editing, camera angles, and soundtrack were impeccable. He easily made audiences feel the hysteria creating a fast-paced rotating camera. Teague made his own vision come to life, changing one aspect from the book that made moviegoers happy. And Stephen King, too.

Cujo is one of my favorite Stephen King films. I warn you to take caution if you watch it because it is intense, bloody, and gory.