The Stepfather (2009) User Reviews (212)

The Stepfather: Sub-par remake

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 28 November 2017]

Of all the films to remake The Stepfather (1987) starring the excellent Terry O'Quinn seems like a really peculiar choice.

I personally enjoyed the original and to an extent its two sequels but went into this assuming the worst. I felt like it would miss the point of the original and overly gloss it with Hollywood sparkle.

Well, it's somewhere inbetween. The Stepfather is a bigger budget version of essentially the same tale, but simply not done as well. So it looks all pretty pretty but doesn't have the same impact that Terry O'Quinn provided.

As a thriller this is passable, just try to forget that its a remake and don't compare it to the superior original.

Dylan Walsh is okay in the role and the film also includes a young Amber Heard on the upswing of her career.

Watchable stuff, but it simply didn't need making.

The Good:

Surprisingly excellent soundtrack

Passable performances

The Bad:

The whole thing feels so unnecessary

Not as good as the original

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

We shouldn't live in a world where we need to background check potential partners, but we probably should

Not a great film but I kinda sorta enjoyed it =)

[IheartCali5882 · 6/10 · 8 April 2010]

I have a strict policy that states movies featuring either (a) a cat suddenly jumping out from a corner accompanied by an ominous sounding music chord or (b) a mirror that is empty of anyone but one character who turns away, then turns back and suddenly sees the killer in the mirror behind them...well these movies are only going to be so good. This movie has both, within about 60 seconds of each other. In spite of this, I have to say it's really not all that bad. I've seen many people complaining about the lack of originality, but when you're remaking a horror film from the 80's, it's almost inevitable that you're going to give the audience something they've seen before. That wasn't really bothersome to me though because the characters and anticipation overshadowed it for the most part.

Dylan Walsh plays the stepfather in a role that was actually likable for the first part of the film. He meets a single mom played by Sela Ward and all is picture perfect until her bad boy son comes home from military school. We only know he's bad by the way because someone tells us. He's a pretty normal, well adjusted kid considering that his dad is no longer around and his mother has engaged herself to a stranger in the span of 6 months. Far as I could tell, his behavior is still within normal range. It might have made for a more interesting film though if he really was a wild child.

So past that everyone knows what follows with the story. There is not a lot of gratuitous violence; even the killing scenes are low key which I don't really mind. If anyone is looking for lots of gore and clever death shots, this is not the film for them. The excitement is in the buildup, the experience of the characters finding out for themselves who the stepfather really is; especially when you have the one obligatory character, in this case the wayward son, who seems to intuit everything about the man from the first time he sets eyes on him. That standard plot device, a character who has it all figured out and NO ONE will believe him, well it's beyond old but it's moderately effective here.

The mindless and unnecessary adolescent dialogue, together with the many gratuitous bikini shots of the son's pale and too skinny girlfriend, tend to bring the quality of the film down. They were neither necessary nor helpful. But if you can look past that and the lack of originality (is it fair to expect that in this film really?) then you'll find an adequate film that's worth a couple hours of your time. I've seen much worse in the horror/thrillers in the past few years.

6/10

Amber Heard in a bikini...oh yeah...and some other stuff.

[carlosgateleaper · 5/10 · 29 October 2009]

I have to give this movie a favorable review only because it delivered something it didn't promise and that took me by surprise. The Stepfather, as I'm sure you all know, is a remake (reboot?) of the 80's slasher series that set the tone for every darn Lifetime movie starring Valerie Bertinelli or Nancy McKeon. A desperate divorcée falls for a mysterious guy who, despite telegraphing to the audience how evil he secretly is, manages to fool his fiancée and her family into thinking that he's a swell guy....that is, until the body count starts. The plot isn't worth discussing. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before. What IS worth discussing is the director's obvious decision to exploit Amber Heard's lovely figure in one long never ending cheesecake sequence. You could make the argument that the ONLY reason this film was even made in the first place was to launch Amber into the stratosphere of blogworthy sex symbols (not unlike what Michael Bay managed to do with Megan Fox). You'll see Amber in her underwear lounging in bed, Amber in her itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini, gratuitous close-ups of her splendid anatomy, etc. This exploitation becomes so flagrant that it distracts from the story itself, which is probably a good thing. In a way the Stepfather 2009 comes off more like a 70's Drive-In flick; the kind teenagers would flock to in hopes of seeing a little skin. Maybe that was the point after all? I sure hope it was. The movie certainly doesn't deliver much else.

Doesn't have the subtlety of the original but still an enjoyable remake

[imdbbl · 10 January 2010]

"The Stepfather" is a remake of the 1987 cult classic by the same name staring Terry O'Quinn. The story begins with Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returning home from military school to find his mother (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh). 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 who he says he is or could David be hiding a dark side ? Along with his girlfriend Kelly (Amber Heard), his father Jay (Jon Tenney), and Susan's friends (Paige Turco and Sherry Stringfield), they slowly start to piece together the mystery of the man who is set to become his stepfather, but they may be too late in getting to the truth... In the last decade we've witnessed a lot of remakes and spin offs, most of them unnecessary, and that's the case with this film. And the reason why it is unnecessary, is because it doesn't add anything to the original besides a groovy soundtrack. The film doesn't really have a voice of its own, instead it's almost a play by play remake with a few differences to make it up to date. Despite being unnecessary, this remake is still quite enjoyable, however, it doesn't have the subtlety of the original and also Terry O'Quinn was much better as a protagonist then Dylan Walsh. O'Quinn had more charisma and delivered his lines with much more impact. And then there's a few things that drag the film down, like the sexualization of Amber Heard ( numerous shots of the young actress in her bikini and underwear, which I wouldn't mind, had it been done more tastefully instead of being a deliberate attempt to please the male audience), plus the poorly done makeovers of David and the lesbian subplot which made absolute no sense to me and seemed out of place. Despite all this, The Stepfather is still a nice little thriller and quite enjoyable, just know that the original is far better.

6/10

Nothing New

[mustluvtacos · 2/10 · 21 October 2009]

I'm pretty sure this movie comes on Lifetime about three times a day. Not that there is anything wrong with re-telling an old story. I loved Christian Bale as Batman. But telling a story again in the same way as I've seen it a million times before? No likey. The biggest problem that I have with this movie is this. If there were no music in the entire movie... it would not have been remotely creepy. The only thing that seems to tip characters off that something may be awry is the ominous music in the background. There was not a single genuinely scary moment. "Oh no, my future step-father is standing in the kitchen! He must be a murderer!" Save your money, turn on Lifetime and watch the man hating gold you're already paying for.

I was entertained

[Naerok · 7/10 · 31 August 2021]

Okay, I'm typing this as I was reading a lot of reviews talking about amber heard in a bikini, who cares? Her boyfriend is a swimming athlete after all, who cares if she's in a bikini throughout the movie. People nit pick about the stupidest things. It was fun to watch and I thought everyone did some pretty great acting especially Dylan Walsh. Yes it was a cliche, "lifetime" movie but it was solid throughout, kept me watching to the end.

Cliché and predictable.

[K_Schafer · 2/10 · 21 October 2009]

I had the opportunity to see this film for free at an advanced screening last week. What I was met with was a poorly constructed and executed film. Fifteen minutes into The Stepfather I was bored and could not wait for the ending credits to roll.

Characters in this movie were poorly thought out and extremely static. The way many of them acted was so unrealistic that it was hard to watch at points. Amber Heard's character was undeveloped and pointless, merely a factor of eye-candy as she was in her underwear or a bikini for 97% of the movie. Even Sela Ward lacked in the acting category in this film.

If the stale characters weren't enough to make you grunt in agony then the plot and atmosphere was. The soundtrack was riddled with horrible music choices that clashed entirely with the mood of the movie. And the plot was extremely predictable and overdone. The Stepfather fully utilized the "dramatic music and close-to-danger" situation that results in nothing but making the viewer think something was going to actually happen.

I knew the rest of the audience attending was in agreement with my opinion of the movie as stupid plot mechanism after stupid plot mechanism continued the "thrilling suspense." People were sarcastically shouting "Oh my god!" and "Come on!" and I couldn't agree more. How many cell phones need to break to put these characters in a state of panic? How many times must the villain magically revive himself after a near-fatal beating? Yawn.

Don't see this movie. It was not worth being free, not worth the time. Best part of the movie for me? The movie theater popcorn.

One of the Better 80s Slasher Remakes

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 24 November 2009]

David Harris (Dylan Walsh) has tried to make his family work, but it just wasn't going to happen. So he kills them and starts over in a new town. But it's never that simple, is it? Will this new family work or will the killing have to start all over again? Like many other recent horror films (at least a dozen in the past year), this is a remake. And I loved the original, a powerhouse lead by the undefeatable Terry O'Quinn ("Lost") with 1980s scream queen Jill Schoelen ("Popcorn"). So, needless to say, I liked the original better... but the remake still has something to offer.

Dylan Walsh does a fine job and is more than good enough trying to be creepy and comforting at the same time. Sela Ward, his wife, seemed lacking and was probably the weakest character in the story. The son, Michael (Miley Cyrus' crush, Penn Badgley), was respectable and a strong supporting lead (though not Jill Schoelen). And his girlfriend (Amber Heard)... well, someone needs to tell me why she was always in a bikini or her underwear. That chick needs to eat a sandwich.

For being PG-13, the suspense and thrills were very nice. There was a cat fake-out, and even with one scene cut (it contains a buzzsaw... watch for it on DVD) there was some good, old-fashioned butt-kicking. And, like any modern horror film, they had to take technology into account -- cell phones and the Internet were utilized as part of the plot. I don't happen to think the "America's Most Wanted" sketch looked like David Harris, but that's forgivable.

I don't know what to make of the lesbian subplot... that requires a second viewing or a commentary track to explain.

You must see the original, but this isn't a bad film, either. And if you're younger and maybe not ready for full blown horror (although I don't think any age is too young), this is a good stepping stone. Just turn off your ears before the horrifyingly bad remake of The Turtles' "Happy Together" in the closing credits. I like Filter, but this song fails.

Poor Remake of a Classic B-Thriller

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 2 January 2011]

After killing the whole family in Salt Lake City, the psychopath David Harris (Dylan Walsh) moves to Portland where he approaches to the divorced Susan Harding (Sela Ward) with her son Sean (Braeden Lemasters) and her daughter Beth (Skyler Samuels) in a supermarket. Six months later, David is living with Susan in her suburban house and the couple is planning to get married. When her rebel son Michael (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, David welcomes Michael and supports him to stay home. But sooner Michael observes that the past of David is absolutely unknown and he suspects that his stepfather might be the missing killer. But neither her girlfriend Kelly Porter (Amber Heard) nor his mother see anything wrong with the stranger.

The 1987 "The Stepfather" is a classic B-thriller, with Terry "John Locke" O'Quinn very convincing in the role of the deranged psychopath. This poor remake is terrible, beginning with the cast of the weirdo Dylan Walsh in the lead role. The transposition of the story from the late 80's to 2009 is absurd since with the present means of communication, the identity of David Harris would never remain unknown with the facility to retrieve his social security number or use of the Internet and software like Photoshop to check his face without beard, especially considering that he is among the ten most wanted criminals in America. The exaggerated use of clichés and the conclusion are awful, and I would like to ask the writers who would survive to a stab in the neck with such piece of glass. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Padrasto" ("The Stepfather")

Unrated Director's Cut Review

[moviewizguy · 7/10 · 9 May 2010]

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?

THE STEPFATHER is a sufficient thriller that gets the job done the way you expect it to. It has suspense, good performances, and is well made. I haven't seen the original film starring Terry O'Quinn so I can't compare it with the remake. However, I can say the remake is entertaining and is engaging while it lasts. What more can you ask for?

The thing that I liked the most here was the family dynamics. I didn't know what to expect from Penn Badgley, who plays the main character, but he pulls off a very convincing performance. Sela Ward as the mother is just great and the pretty blond who shows some skin, Amber Heard, can actually act! Paige Turco and Jon Tenney were really good in their roles as well. However, it's obvious that Dylan Walsh is the main star of the film. He does a fantastic job as the crazy stepfather. Some of his scenes just gave me chills.

There's also quite a bit of suspense in here, which surprised me. Sure, there's one cat jump scare (don't you just hate those?), but that's forgivable because there was only one. Some of the death scenes were quite disturbing as well. Being a PG-13 movie and all, you might expect death scenes with no blood to be quite "lame," as they say it, but that's where you're wrong. They're pretty realistic and not over the top as you might have seen in other films.

If there's one thing I must complain about, it's the payoff. I thought it was way too short and that it could have been longer. In the end, however, the remake keeps you very interested until the very end. There's rarely any moment where you'll find yourself looking at your watch because the thriller gets the job done and does it efficiently and effectively.

I'd Rather Watch Terry O Quinn

[smooth_op_85 · 2/10 · 7 October 2017]

Okay, so I decided to watch the original 1987 version and then check out the 2009 version and compare the two. One thing definitely comes off right away: The Stepfather is just a douchebag

See, the part of the movie that I should be able to sit through the most is The Stepfather. He is supposed to be creepy but in a way that is trying to come off as genuine to the audience so that we can see how the Mom and other children fall for him--and why one of the children is suspicious. This is the gaping hole in the film that never closes right. We never see him being sociable so that we can say "Wow, he's charming even for a homicidal maniac" What's worse is that an hour into the film and I was just checking the time thinking "If I don't care about him or like him this film won't work" And it doesn't

So Michael's girlfriend (of the suspicious kid) shows a lot of skin and it's a bore. I mean, yeah for adolescents or old men with beer guts, it might stand up and salute but otherwise, it's just the same old adolescent girl showing skin that we probably won't care about in 10 years time

The Mom. She's too trusting knowing that his past is untraceable and she doesn't seem to mind. She's just vapid until the end and even then you don't care about her character because she like the 2 children are forgettable...but she's in more scenes but still I just remember not caring for her much

The fact that we see a lot of Michael and his suspicions while it never really focuses a lot on the interplay between him and The Stepfather...it seems forced at times which it's supposed to but it doesn't even gel right when it's forced

I don't even remember the names of the little kids, as far as I'm concerned they wasted money on that part of the budget because those two other kids are so forgettable.

As with most remakes, they should've left well enough alone but Hollywood is always looking for another cash cow

This one sucked...terribly

Overlooked, fantastic thriller

[meriles_stephen · 9/10 · 22 February 2010]

I have to say, after seeing a lot of reviews of this movie, I can honestly say that I'm a little perplexed. A lot of them seem to believe this is some kind of Lifetime movie, some call it a typical dumbed-down teen thriller and I saw one reviewer call it a call back to old horror titillation, and I'm surprised and that this film is neither of those. In fact, it's the exact opposite. While some Lifetime thirllers revolve around a woman who is being tortured by her abusive husband, who'm she must try to escape from his evil man-grasp, this film is actually about the older son of the family who tries to prove to his mother that her boyfriend is evil, much to the mother's (understandable) denial. It's not a teen revenge movie about a kid who trying to rail against the new guy in his life who (for some unexplained reason) is evil. It's a film about domestic life and show's you every minute of what's happening with both the son and the stepfather, explaining every happening and soaking up all the tension between them, with the only exposure to his teen life his girlfriend, who serves less as his flat love interest to escape to and more like his straight-man who calls him about on an obsession based on a (though correct) simple distrust. Speaking of which, the reviewer who said this was all about the skin and sex appeal must have been pretty prudish, because I think there's about one scene which focuses about them making out, and it's pretty tame as far as thrillers go. She spends most of movie in her bikini, but it's never the focus of any shot. The character's are an oddity in film today, as they're likable for the most part, and when they aren't, it's understandable. This especially odd for the teen couple, who seem intelligent and more than one note. The stepfather is affable, and pulls off the charming part well for the most part, seeming just like the stepdad you've always wanted. He commits murders throughout the movie, but if they never showed any before the end the only thing you would suspect is that the son is obsessed...except for the blasting soundtrack, which I'll admit eases up toward the middle. There's no campiness or over-the-topness in the movie, and everything is done in a realistic fashion, enough to say that if someone was this smart and charming, this could happen to you. It's a bit anti-climatic at times, but otherwise keep you satisfied through out the film.

This is a thriller/horror movie that keeps up with the times. It's not like horror movies today that seem to forget they're not in the 70's, making advances in technology into huge plot holes or underestimates the intelligence of today's people, whether the characters or the audience. Rather it uses those advances to it's advantage and perfectly measures the logic and understanding of people today, sometimes using it to add relief or tighten suspense. It takes everything you knows about thillers, and while it doesn't turn them all around or revolutionize anything, it at least stays away from the stereotypes or make the standard tropes less tired It's not some kind of Lifetime movie of the week, or MTV Award bait, or even one of those David Loughery faux-thrillers; what this is a tight scripted, well-acted, truly suspenseful film that keeps you guessing, if you can predict what already happens. I recommend a lot of movies, but if your a horror or suspense fan and you've at least okay with the remakes of films like Friday the 13th or My Bloody Valentine, you have to go see this movie! It will amaze you in how they keep everything fresh and tense!

Average remake full of suspense , thrills and gory killings

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 2 May 2011]

A meek-looking guy man named David Harris (Dylan Wash)marries widows and divorcées with children in search of the perfect family. As soon as his new family members show signs of being human and not robots who will march unquestioningly to his tune, his dreams of domestic bliss begin to crumble, and he murders them. Then he alters his appearance, assumes a new identity, and skips to another town to begin the deadly ritual all over again. He attempts to marry Susan Harding (Sela Ward) , who sees him as the ideal surrogate father for his sons , and he is soon up to his old tricks when she proves to be too much of a troublesome young son Michael (Penn Badgley) to handle. As Michael goes back home from military school to find his mother falling in love and living with her new love interest . As both of them get to know each other, he along with his father (Jon Tenney) become more and more suspicious of the person who is always there with a helpful hand .

Exciting thriller has well-cast Dylan Walsh who manages to deliver a good performance as a family-values man in search of the perfect little family but he results to be a psycho who eventually erupts into violence. But Amber Heard steals the spectacle showing a breathtaking bikini playing as son's girlfriend . The film turns out to be an inferior remake from successful original ¨The stepfather¨ (1987) by Joseph Ruben with Terry O'Quinn , Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack that was followed by other two follow-up as ¨ Stepfather 2¨ (1989) by Jeff Burr again with Terry O' Quinn , along with Meg Foster and Jonathan Brandis and ¨Stepfather 3¨ . Rating : 5,5 ; acceptable and passable .

"Amber Heard's Bikini"

[SJinSeaTac · 2/10 · 17 October 2009]

...the real title of this film.

TWO WARNINGS:

1) I checked two "user" reviews for this movie here on IMDb which were good/favorable towards this movie and they have NO OTHER COMMENT HISTORY! Or any history, of any kind, with IMDb.com. To me, that means these reviews are planted BY THE STUDIO, cast, or crew!

2) This comment contains no spoilers at all, for there is nothing about this film to spoil or give away, honest!

NO. That's the first thing you should say to anyone who asks you to see this. Better yet, make another movie suggestion. Not even a hot date is worth taking to this because there will never be a second date and nothing is gonna happen after the date either!

Plot in a nutshell- Serial Killer looking for the "perfect family", formerly troubled son returns home after 6 months away at a military school, is suspicious of his new stepfather, and shakes things up.

There are numerous things the writer and director could have done with this movie. My expectations were exceedingly low (the same dud-making-duo behind the 2008 "Prom Night" re-imagining) and were fulfilled.

Followers of the original cult classic will not find a remake or re-imagining but a different film with the title "The Stepfather" attached.

Almost every possible scenario which could have benefited this movie was either rushed, failed at during the execution, or left out entirely. Believe it or not, there isn't even one decent scene where Mom and son have the "he's a monster serial killer why are you marrying him?!?" fight. What the film is reduced to is us watching Amber Heard wear a new two-piece swimsuit every other scene while floating in the pool with the troubled son (no, I'm not even kidding), trying not to laugh at Sela Ward's nose-job, ignoring the blatant homophobic references ("Meet him in the basement? for what?") including the 12 year-old giggle factor of two women saying "I love you" to each other, and rushed kill scenes devoid of any true violence.

I did give this film 2 stars however. The first is for not being as bad as their "Prom Night" remake. The second is for making a film which will end both of their careers, more or less.

Let's not pay Hollywood any more money to produce sanitized waste like this movie. Suggestion? Go see the "Last House on the Left" remake instead.

Once again the trailer was better than the film

[cinevid · 5/10 · 19 October 2009]

Though a lot of the elements were typical and expected in this movie, it still held interest and had a few good 'gotcha' moments. However, as it neared the end, it seemed that the editor just hacked together an ending to shorten the movie down because it was in danger of actually being two hours long. In fact, one of the coolest terror scenes in the trailer was when the circular saw falls from the attic and dangles over the girlfriend, (like Vincent Price's Pit and the Pendulum) but guess what? It's NOT in the movie. I was ticked off. Now, I know some scenes are in a trailer and don't make it to the final cut, but come on! It's the last shots in the trailer and the most terrifyingly memorable! It's false advertising at it's worst! Oh well, hopefully it will be in the DVD release, making that a good reason to skip seeing it in the theaters.

Sadly the popularity of this film hinges on the reality that way too many men marry into a family and think they can have everything go their way without regard for how the children have been raised before they came along. Kids love to push boundaries and rarely ever accept the 'new dad' as anything more than an ATM, so the guy let's his frustration build to the point where he explodes on them, losing all credibility and respect. Obviously they don't all become psycho killers, but the abuses run rampant in today's society, so it's no surprise why so many teens are eager to see this film.

Very Impressive.

[TodayIsTheDayOurSinsWillBeOver · 29 August 2010]

Having not seen the original version of The Stepfather I have to say that normally I'm not a fan of remakes, and usually, yes, I do loathe them because they always tend to be a load of crap (Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes for example..). However, since I haven't seen the original Stepfather film I can't compare them both, but what I have seen in this remake is something else. I was really, really impressed with this, and I am going to have to seek out the original now to see what it was like.

The Stepfather basically tells the story of "David" - a disturbed man who is apparently normal and caring on the outside but very unstable on the inside, both psychologically and emotionally and one of who lives a lot double lives, looking for recently divorced women to emotionally manipulate them and ultimately, breaks them down and kills them and any immediate family. I always compare him to the girl out of the Orphan because they both have nearly the same tactics at luring people into trusting them - in fact this movie reminded me of Orphan a lot. Anyway, when he senses he may be in danger of having his history found out, "David" takes even more extreme action to cover his steps up a lot quicker than he would normally do. "David" has been doing this many for years, and also has evaded capture from the police by changing his appearance and never using any ID when purchasing, for example a car. He always pays in cash, and always changes his appearance in somewhat way before moving onto his next victim. You may think it's a relatively simple plot, but the movie itself is a lot of fun and suspense. There's also a lot of psychological tension and build up as "David"'s new family become suspicious of his activities and his apparent lack of background information. As the movie progresses, things turn for the worse for the family he has deceived as they become wary of his background.

The acting is first class, and the guy who acts as "David", Dylan Walsh? I think that's his name. He is very convincing in his role. I honestly can't find one bad thing to say about this movie, as I definitely enjoyed it, and the build up of psychological suspense kept me watching until the very end of the credits. All in all it's quite excellent, and I've given it a 9 out of 10, simply losing one point because it is still a remake, but one that is excellent.

If you're a fan of Orphan or indeed, The Strangers, The Stepfather's psychological factors may just peek your interests here. Definitely a must watch at some point. Very enjoyable!

it's entertaining

[stefenie27 · 7/10 · 8 June 2010]

I enjoyed this movie. Yes, there are some predictable parts, and yes it is a scenario we have scene time and time again, but if your looking for a suspense thriller for 2009, this can be added to your list. The Stepfather plays a good role with his intense ways. The oldest son is realizing there is something totally not right with this picture, but he is well distracted by his girlfriend. She thinks her boyfriend Michael is paranoid of his "soon to be" new Stepfather. The Mom is oblivious, her sister is curious! Everything starts unraveling along with the Stepfather's nerves when things seem to not go his way. Makes you wonder why the Mom doesn't care about any information on her future husband, guess she's wearing those rose colored glasses awful thick! It's a movie worth watching, if anything, you'll be entertained! :)

no horror more a thriller

[trashgang · 4/10 · 8 June 2010]

Let's say that the last years Hollywood is remaking those old classics. But most of them failed to be better than the original. What I just watched should be a remake of the hard searched after classic The Stepfather. A lot of money is given to find the OOP full uncut. I can tell that this one never will earn that reputation. It isn't b ad but to say horror, no. No blood flows even as it starts pretty well with the so called stepfather leaving his old house when he just murdered his family. Nice. But then it's all the way down just until the last 10 minutes. Nothing really happens. It's a typical teen horror were no blood flows, oh god were are the good old 80's. It's a lot of talking between the stepfather and the son. Because he fears that the son is investigating his past. What the movie delivers is a bikini girl. And be honest, for the most part that's the best to watch. She's got something mysterious over her, the reason why she played Mandy Lane. I'm talking about Amber Heard. I guess male youngsters watching this flick will see that something can go up...but it will fall down due the weakness of the movie. Why oh why all those remakes. It's one to watch in the afternoon before your pizza and having the real stuff afterwards. It's so sad to see how producers and writers go for the easy money, put a babe in your movie, just show some bikini shots and you are finished, yeah, finished for me those guys are!

How to turn a slasher flick into a PG, made for TV quality "light thriller"

[Robert_duder · 6/10 · 6 February 2010]

Years ago during a love affair with bad 80's slashers with multiple sequels I watched the original The Stepfather which was gory and disturbing and blood soaked like many 80's horror flicks. So I was excited to see this remake because I for one love remakes for the most part (Amityville Horror was amazing!) I should have thought more about this and known that walking into the film they would PG the movie and make it so pre-teen friendly that The CW could air it between Gossip Girl and 90210 (I like both those shows by the way.) Horror is toned down and reduced almost entirely to shock value and 'hidden kills.' That much disappoints and requires the entire film to rely on the cast and for the most part that doesn't work very well. The movie is not un-redeemable and has its moments but it loses a lot of ground in the horror genre. Instead it tries to borrow pieces from teeny thriller flicks like Disturbia, and better made remakes like Friday the 13th, and even Halloween which was not great but at least it was gory as anything. Ultimately the remake of The Stepfather ends up as a teen thriller more than a horror.

Gossip Girl alumni Penn Badgley plays the black sheep returning from Military school. Badgley is decent in the leading role but having seen him in Gossip Girl and now this his range as an actor seems pretty limited as he basically plays the same role. I think I expected more from Sela Ward who plays the Mom and unsuspecting victim but she basically turns in a just okay performance. She adds to the "made for TV feel" of the whole thing. Amber Heard plays the eye candy of the film and in that aspect she does very well. Her and Badgley have decent chemistry but her character and performance is rather shallow and she does other than look pretty. Moving on to some stronger players in the film--Jon Tenney plays Badgley's real father who tries desperately to help protect his family including his ex-wife to no avail. Unfortunately Tenney is sparingly used and doesn't get a big role but he does bring some genuine emotion and intensity to the film. And finally the saving grace of the film is the disturbingly twisted performance by Dylan Walsh as The Stepfather. He gives a terrifically two sided performance as the loving doting father and new husband and then the twisted killer in the blink of an eye. One of the best lines in the film as the story unravels is him pausing to ask "Wait...who am I here?" Amazing. He makes an amazing killer to the film.

Like much of the entire cast director Nelson McCormick comes from heavy Television and I always point that out and its not like I hold that against anyone because I love TV including some of the stuff McCormick has directed such as the brilliant Southland, CSI New York, Prison Break etc. but there is a big leap between telling an ongoing story in an hour and telling a complete story in two hours. I felt like perhaps McCormick wasn't given a lot to work with and it almost just seemed like a hobby to all of them rather than a serious attempt at a film (with the exception of Walsh.) The Stepfather was a bit of a cult classic to remake but I still had high expectations and while it isn't a complete mess it isn't made with adults in mind. So the good news is teens can watch it and adults can watch it at the same time but don't expect anything mind blowing. Its sadly subtle and poorly executed. 6/10

Would Be Fine for Lifetime TV

[barrynewblood · 5/10 · 23 April 2022]

Dylan Walsh is a strong actor, but the material he's been given doesn't help him attempt to go toe to toe with Terry O'Quinn's iconic performance in the original. The stepchild's gender has been switched and Penn Badgley brings a lot of welcome vulnerability to the role while Sela Ward's concerned wife and mother doesn't get as much to do nor does Amber Heard as the concerned girlfriend.

The script has more cliches and bad scares than the original which hurts it a lot, but it's entertaining enough if you just want to decompress and watch something that doesn't require you to do much thinking.

Discovering the past is dangerous.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 16 February 2010]

Susan Harding(Sela Ward)is an attractive and lonely widow with children. One, Michael(Penn Badgley), returns home from military school to find his mother has a live-in boyfriend David(Dylan Walsh). On first appearances David seems a likable and charming guy. But this ultimate nice guy has a past on the darker side. Pretending to be the ideal husband and stepfather, David has an ulterior motive when picking out Susan at the grocery store. David seems to have a bad habit of changing families like some people change houses. Michael begins delving into David's past to discover some possible deviate and psychotic activities. There is now an awkward feeling when you hear that "Daddy's home".

Walsh makes himself pretty easy to dislike. Ward is good at what she does; but her friend Jackie(Paige Turco)is a stone fox. Also in the cast: Jon Tenney, Skyler Samuels and Amber Heard. Violence is pretty ordinary and the chills were at a minimum.

Okay remake

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 3 November 2009]

Young man comes home from school to find his mother is in love with a new boyfriend. Something about the boyfriend doesn't sit well with the son and he begins to dig into the man's past only to find the very real possibility that he's a psychopath murdering less than perfect families in his wake.

Okay remake of the 1987 minor classic that spawned sequels and made Terry O'Quinn a star. The problem with the film here is two fold. First the film rather blandly told. It seems like a film that was thrown together with an aim for TV but ended up being better than they hoped so they put it into theaters (also its PG-13 makes this a rather bloodless affair). The other problem is that Dylan Walsh as the stepfather isn't as menacing as Terry O'Quinn. To be certain he seems more like a regular guy, but when it comes down to being a monster he's just not as frightening.

I didn't hate this but at the same time I was wondering why I was watching it. I should have waited for cable.

Good thriller..

[victorymanish · 8/10 · 16 August 2021]

Movie is good..Definitely worth watching for thriller fans.. These low ratings are dumb..just see and enjoy for what it it is..

This remake is a pretty solid film by itself.

[geniuskentyk-1 · 6/10 · 9 July 2010]

'The Stepfather' is a fairly decent thriller and slightly-slasher film in a time where films like this are horribly made. I've never seen the original 'Stepfather' film, but from what I can tell, this remake isn't too shabby. It has strong leads and a decent and straightforward script with good pacing. I loved the introduction of the film, where it explains how the "Stepfather" killer is able to kill a family and get away with it so many times. I like how there's never really a slow or boring part in the film. We like the main son, Michael, and his girlfriend. I think Penn Badgley and Amber Heard were good in their roles. I especially liked Dylan Walsh as the stepfather. Walsh made the character both likable and hated, and made him interesting. I didn't like how clueless the mom was; she's a complete idiot. One of the biggest problems the film had was the actions some of the characters took that didn't make sense. No one would logically marry someone they knew nothing about; it's just unrealistic. And there's one part where the stepfather walks out to his front lawn while there's a bunch of policemen right across the street. If you're a mass murderer on the run, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't make yourself that noticeable to the police. Also, the stepfather should have had the cell phone turned off from the beginning, not when someone's trying to call the cell phone. It's ridiculous. The stepfather's supposed to be a smart and clever guy, but we don't see that when he's with this new family. With all of this said and done, I felt that this remake of 'The Stepfather' didn't offer anything new, but it does entertain. I did like the ending and what happens to the stepfather; I felt it was a fairly good and interesting conclusion to the film. Though the ending may have felt rushed and quick, I was fine with it.

PS: This remake of 'The Stepfather' in a lot of ways felt like 2007′s 'Disturbia' (3 Kents out of 4!). I was constantly reminded of 'Disturbia' while I was watching 'The Stepfather.' However, I like 'Disturbia' more and think it was made better and more interesting. The third act of 'Disturbia' wasn't great, though, which I think the remake of 'The Stepfather' succeeds in – having the film go through a constantly interesting pace.

Nope

[questl-18592 · 2/10 · 1 June 2021]

Horrible, Lifetime movie garbage. Wooden acting, a very overzealous sound design and zero sense of dread make this feel like a complete waste of time.

Let's rip some of it apart though.

According to the movie, recently widowed mothers will basically invite a guy to move in with them as long as he says his wife died. At least twice we see him pull this stunt and the second time especially was infuriating. "I recently lost my wife and daughter in an accident" is, according to this movie, the cheat code for domestic bliss.

He somehow survives in a town and even becomes a realtor without ever once having to show any documentation? Nooooooope.

Amber Heard. Recent problems aside, the male gaze on her in this movie is out of control. Every shot of her has her in a bikini and in some way or another flaunting her body in a very sleazy fashion. She is nothing in this movie but eye candy and it gets to a point of just being obnoxious.

The smash cuts and sudden sound effects cues need to stop. The entire time of this movie would be different if it was shown raw and without the sound track holding our hands and dragging us through.

There's a scene near the end where a phone breaks that might be one of the most ridiculous, fakest things I've ever scene. Ring ring, it falls and smashed to pieces, BEFORE EVEN HITTING THE GROUND, and somehow the crucial part manages to slide like three feet away from the rest of it? Noooooope!

The only redeeming factors here are what I believe to be a casually lesbian couple that the movie never addresses, because that's awesome. They're just a couple, no need to make a huge thing out of it. And the mother actually fights back! Hallelujah a movie like this where the suburban mom doesn't just take it. God the bar is low on these things.

This thing is trash. Don't waste your time with it. Ugh, so bad.