The Stepfather is the full package: fast-paced, well-acted, suspenseful and brimming with bursts of nasty violence.
The Stepfather (1987)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:21
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.8/10
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: This is the chilling tale of a congenial family man whose engaging smile and staid demeanor insidiously mask a deep-seated dementia. His obsessive desire to live the ideal family life ultimately... This is the chilling tale of a congenial family man whose engaging smile and staid demeanor insidiously mask a deep-seated dementia. His obsessive desire to live the ideal family life ultimately leads to the family's very destruction. [More]
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack
Director: Joseph Ruben
Director: Joseph Ruben
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Reviews for The Stepfather
Ruben's surprisingly resonant and durable tale ... cannily reflects, in a larger way, the era of its creation
An engrossing suspense thriller that refreshingly doesn't cheat the audience in terms of valid clues and plot twists.
Just when it looked like slasher movies were wholly irredeemable, director Joseph Ruben came along to prove there is some intelligent life in this otherwise bereft subgenre.
The Stepfather makes use of a classic fairy tale device--the false parent--but it turns out to have a powerful effect upon one's involvement with the characters.
One is left longing for Hitchcock's dark, daring wit and disturbingly amoral insights.
Borrowing from Hitchcock (Shadow of a Doubt) and Kubrick (The Shining), Ruben's elegant, darkly humorous tale deconstructs patriarchy and can't be divorced from the Republican family values that dominated the 1980 with their 1950s retro feel.
Thankfully, director Rubens doesn't take advantage of every opportunity for cheap thrills and gore.
Latest News for The Stepfather
November 12, 2007:
Screen Gems' Stepfather Remake Adds Names
If you've been clinging to the hope that Screen Gems' announced remake of The Stepfather was some kind of cruel trick, you may as well face facts -- it's really happening. And... More...
September 11, 2007:
Nelson McCormick Signs on to Direct Stepfather Remake
Apparently, Screen Gems was serious about doing that remake of The Stepfather. More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| 19% 19% | Transformers: Revenge … |
| 55% 55% | Orphan |
| 43% 43% | The Proposal |
| 26% 26% | Land of the Lost |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 88% 88% | Ballast |
| 67% 67% | The Merry Gentleman |
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