Stepfather, The

Movie Info

Genre(s): Horror  |  Suspense/Thriller

Written by: J.S. Cardone

Directed by: Nelson McCormick

Release Date:
Theatrical: October 16, 2009
DVD: February 9, 2010

Running Time: minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, mature thematic material and brief sensuality

Starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Sherry Stringfield, Jon Tenney, Paige Turco, and Amber Heard

Michael Harding returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David. As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really the man of her dreams or could David be hiding a dark side? (Sony)

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What The Critics Said

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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 5.8 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

sandy n gave it a5:
I didn't see the 1987 original, but this version of The Stepfather, although professional in its production, is just another by-the-numbers thriller. (Spoiler Alert coming...) The end leaves you dissatisfied and frustrated too, as the evil protagonist never gets his comeuppance!

Sean is my name gave it a3:
RULES for 21st CENTURY CINEMA: Any movie that relies on "Low Battery" displays on a cellular phone to create tension just shouldn't be made. This film takes a pedantic approach to suspense and offers nothing new. Nice production values. Dylan Walsh is disturbingly hot.

Jennifer gave it a9:
What a rush!!!!! Ths movie was so good! I was jumping out of my seat. The buildup to each suspensful moment is perfect. By now, I think we have seen it all as far as predictable plots but this movies does a very good job of surprising you despite having a pretty good idea about what is going on. I give it a 9 because this movie was a thrill ride. Really got my blood pumping for what I thought was going to be another okay movie on a dull Friday night. Definitely worth the $10 bucks.

dan g. gave it a6:
Ok, 6 is a tad generous. the thing that really blew me away is dr. house's ex and forever love getting married AGAIN to that stepfather guy. what a hussy. don't tell greggie.

ricky m gave it a10:
The Stepfather is freakin awesome! this movie is a thrill a minute suspense ride from the opening scene up to the final one Dylan Walsh is amazing.

Chad S. gave it a3:
Five years after "The Stepfather" was released, Vice President Dan Quayle delivered a speech that codified the term "family values" as a demagogic catchphrase for self-righteous conservatives, in which the spelling-challenged former senator from the Hoosier State, famously criticized a television character's choice to raise a child on her own. While this remake of the Joseph Ruben original is too diffuse, too preoccupied with its teen-centric focus on young love, the satirical possibilities of a man with with a double life who hypocritically promotes the two-parent household, is still there, albeit such ideological strands are never properly developed. Susan Harding(the transcending beauty Sela Ward), a recent divorcee and mother of two, has lesbian friends, a couple played by, incidentally enough, television stalwarts Sherry Stringfield("ER") and Paige Turico("NYPD Blue"). Since David Harris(Dylan Harris), a traditionalist with high moral standards, clearly disapproves of pre-marital sex(the stepfather keeps an eagle-eye on Michael and his girlfriend), the moviegoer would be inclined to think that Susan's friends are sinners in his book, as well. In order to bypass any overt, or even subtle political(and more importantly, religious) undertones, it's never made clear as to how David feels about their "alternative lifestyle". [***SPOILER ALERT***] On the surface, David has to murder one of the lesbians because she knows too much, but in a film conspicuously absent of religion, a baptismal subtext persists itself on the, otherwise, apolitical(and secularized) diegesis, as the woman is drowned by the morally superior father, in a swimming pool. It looks like he's "saving" her.