...ultimately manages to overcome its almost aggressively uneven atmosphere to establish itself as a solid little '80s thriller.
Comment
11/25/09
The Stepfather (1987)
88
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:22
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... [More]
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Reviews for The Stepfather
The Stepfather is the full package: fast-paced, well-acted, suspenseful and brimming with bursts of nasty violence.
10/16/09
Ruben's surprisingly resonant and durable tale ... cannily reflects, in a larger way, the era of its creation
01/15/08
An engrossing suspense thriller that refreshingly doesn't cheat the audience in terms of valid clues and plot twists.
09/24/07
Top CriticJust 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.
09/24/07
A high water mark of 1980s horror/suspense.
09/04/06
One is left longing for Hitchcock's dark, daring wit and disturbingly amoral insights.
06/24/06
No review available.
10/09/05
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.
07/06/05
No review available.
06/01/05
Too often disappointingly thin.
08/30/04
Top CriticNo review available.
05/14/04
No review available.
10/15/03
An inventive, overlooked, classic slasher film from the 80's.
09/12/03
Thankfully, director Rubens doesn't take advantage of every opportunity for cheap thrills and gore.
05/24/03
No review available.
10/31/02
No review available.
08/15/02
A wonderful horror film because the people are so ordinary
08/13/02
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...
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