The Stepfather
Release date: 2009-10-16
Votes: 947
Genres: Horror, Thriller
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?
Reviews
Wuchak
***What if your stepfather is a psycho?*** After an amiable man (Dylan Walsh) slays his family he starts a new one under a different identity in Portland, Oregon, but his discerning stepson (Penn Badgley) picks up on his dark side. Sela Ward plays the psycho’s new fiancé while Amber Heard is on hand as the stepson’s girlfriend. "The Stepfather" (2009) is a solid crime drama/thriller with a bit o' slasher horror, a combination of the original film (1987) and its sequel (1989). All of the Stepfather flicks are loosely based on mass murderer John List. They contain elements of movies like "Psycho" (1960/1998) mixed with coming-of-age drama, like “Fright Night” (1985) and “Disturbia” (2007). Walsh effectively portrays the delusional titular character while Badgley is competent as the teen protagonist. Meanwhile the director takes every opportunity to show Heard in a bikini or underwear, but she’s way too thin to stir much interest despite her obvious attractiveness. She’s more appealing after she acquired some curves, e.g. as Mera in “Aquaman” (2018). At the end of the day this is an updated, slightly more compelling version of the first film and its sequel. There are just enough changes to make it worthwhile if you’re familiar with the prior flicks. On the downside, it’s a little predictable, but what else is new? The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles & Santa Clarita, California (with studio work done in Culver City). GRADE: B+
Movie Recommendation
The Roommate2011-02-04When Sara, a young design student from Iowa, arrives for college in Los Angeles, she is eager to fit in and get to know the big city. Her wealthy roommate, Rebecca, is more than eager to take Sara under her wing and show her the ropes. The two become close, but when Sara begins to branch out and make more friends on campus, Rebecca becomes resentful. Alarmed, Sara moves in with her new boyfriend, causing Rebecca's behavior to take a violent turn.More...
The Broken2008-11-15The life of a successful radiologist spirals out of control when she sees the spitting image of herself driving down a London street. While attempting to uncover who the imposter could be, she stumbles into a terrifying mystery that her family and closest friends are somehow involved in, leaving her with no one to trust.More...
Abandoned2010-08-24Mary Walsh delivers boyfriend Kevin to a hospital for routine outpatient surgery. But when Mary returns to take him home, he's mysteriously vanished.More...
The French Detective1975-12-10When political thugs murder an opponent's volunteer and also kill a cop, chief inspector Verjeat believes the politician who hired them is as guilty as the murderous goon. Verjeat's pursuit of the councilman, Lardatte, gets him a warning from his superiors. When he embarrasses Lardatte while disarming a hostage (the dead volunteer's father), Verjeat is told he's being transferred within a week. He speeds up his hunt for the goon and, with Lefévre, one of his young detectives, he engineers a complicated scheme to buy more time before the transfer. How should Verjeat play out his values of honor and duty?More...
The Informers2008-11-05A collection of intersecting short stories set in early 1980s Los Angeles, depicts a week in the lives of an assortment of socially alienated, mainly well-off characters who numb their sense of emptiness with casual sex, violence, and drugs.More...
War Sailor2022-09-23War Sailor is a magnificent drama that tells the story of the more than 30,000 Norwegian war sailors and their families' fate during and after the Second World War.More...
Downloaded2013-06-20A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.More...
Stepfather 21989-11-03"Stepfather" Jerry Blake escapes an insane asylum and winds up in another town, this time impersonating a marriage counselor. With a future wife and new stepson who love him, Blake eliminates anyone who stands in his way to building the perfect family.More...
The Submarine Kid2016-01-12When Spencer Koll, a United States Marine, returns home from a horrific wartime experience, his mundane reality leads him to gravitate towards a new and mysterious woman on her own determined journey. Together, they enter into a magical but destructive new relationship which ultimately exposes their essential truths.More...
Buried in Barstow2022-06-04Follows Hazel King, a single mother determined to protect her daughter from the life she once had while defending and protecting those who can't protect themselves.More...
The Wicked Gift2017-11-23Ethan is a young, shy and rather reserved designer who has suffered from insomnia for many years due to his terrible nightmares. Believing he has a personality disorder he decides to see a therapist to solve his problem, but it will be thanks to the help of his best friend and a medium that he will face a long journey, a journey that will lead him to discover that his nightmares hide a shocking truth, something darker and more sinister than he ever imagined.More...
Fifteen and Pregnant1998-01-19Based on a true story, 15 year old Tina Spangler discovers she is pregnant. Her choices are abortion, adoption, or a lonely, exhausting life as a single parent. Abandoned by her boyfriend, she turns to her mother. Tina discovers although it has torn her world apart, her pregnancy could re-unite her shattered family and help her find her true purpose in life.More...
The Invisible Maniac1990-07-13An invisible scientist escapes from an asylum and teaches high-school physics to nubile teens.More...
Chi La Sow2018-08-03While Arjun doesn't want to get married, his parents set up a blind date for him at his place. The story revolves around Arjun, how he falls for the girl he's about to meet, why and how he changed his decision to get married.More...
Hide Away2011-10-30A successful businessman attempting to resurrect his life buys and boards a dilapidated sailboat.More...
The Paper Store2016-03-05A former college student writes essays for cash until a client becomes her lover.More...
A Murder in Mansfield2017-11-12Oscar®-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio. Her 12-year-old son Collier gave a devastating videotaped testimony blaming his father for the murder. Now, over two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt. Collier’s depth of character is a wonder to behold from childhood to adulthood. Out of this tragic story, we witness the power of human resilience.More...
After Everything2018-10-12When Elliot, a brash 23-year-old living carefree in New York City, meets the sensible Mia and receives a damning diagnosis all in the same week, his world is turned completely upside down. But as their love blossoms amidst the chaos of his treatment, they discover that Elliot's illness is not the real test of their relationship – it's everything else.More...
Secret Agents2004-03-03From his offices in Switzerland, Russian Igor Lipovsky is engaged in a vast and profitable gunrunning operation with Africa. The French government wants to hinder the activities of the arms dealer and sends a team to sink one of his ships heading for Angola with a load of illegal weaponry. Lisa, Brisseau, Loïc, Tony and Raymond are professionals: they carefully set up their cover, plan all their moves meticulously, and carry out orders without asking questions. Perhaps they should. The code-name of the mission is "Janus"; and just like with the ancient deity, there are two opposite faces for every aspect of the operation: the objective of the French government, the role of each team member, the presumed friend and the assumed foe...More...
The Son2019-05-02Painter Lorenzo's life spirals out of control as he fears his wife is trying to isolate him from their infant son.More...
Similar Movies
Shaft
2000-06-15New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.Poseidon
2006-05-03A packed cruise ship traveling the Atlantic is hit and overturned by a massive wave, compelling the passengers to begin a dramatic fight for their lives.Cape Fear
1991-11-13Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.The Vanishing
1993-02-05The boyfriend of an abducted woman never gives up the search as the abductor looks on.Insomnia
2002-05-24Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.The Grudge
2004-10-22An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.The Grudge 2
2006-10-12A young woman encounters a malevolent supernatural force while searching for her missing sister in Tokyo, a mean high school prank goes horribly wrong, and strange things begin happening in a Chicago apartment building.The Fly
1986-08-15When Seth Brundle makes a huge scientific and technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.Man on Fire
2004-04-23Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she's kidnapped he's consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life.Dementia 13
2017-10-06A vengeful ghost, a mysterious killer, and a family where everyone has a secret converge in one night of terror in this remake of Francis Ford Coppola's first feature film.The Call
2004-01-17A popular and common urban legend. Jill is babysitting for Ms. McKenzie, who leaves Jill alone in the house late at night while the children sleep peacefully upstairs. While Jill does her homework, she receives a mysterious phone call. The caller doesn't say anything except: "Have you checked the children?" Jill is confused and believes it is Ms. McKenzie playing a particle joke. After several similar calls, Jill realizes the caller is not who she thinks it is. She becomes frightened and calls the police. Sargent Clifford comes to Jill's aid in solving the mystery of the phone calls. Together they find the origin of the phone calls and discover they are coming from inside the house!Tourist Trap
No data for this movieA remake of the 1979 cult classic about a group of young friends stranded at a secluded roadside museum, and are stalked by a masked assailant who uses his telekinetic powers to control the attraction’s mannequins.The Initiation of Sar...
2006-10-22A sorority girl unwittingly becomes the focus of a battle between good and evil.Billa
2007-12-14The intertwined stories of an international Don in Malaysia, David Billa, chased by the cops, an Indian police officer, a woman who wants to avenge the death of her brother, and a lowly thief, Velu who shares with Billa, an unusual connection.Sorority Row
2009-09-09When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret.Mermaid Chronicles Pa...
2001-12-20Two carnies (Sewell and Gugino) abduct a mermaid in Ireland, circa 1900, and decide to transport her to America. As their ship loses its way and heads towards the mythical Forbidden Islands, the mermaid begins to display its deadly side.The Ring Virus
1999-06-12Sun-ju is a reporter who uncovers a series of inexplicable deaths that occurred simultaneously. Her investigation leads her to a resort, where she finds a videotape filled with mysterious images. After viewing it, a message appears on the screen that she has just been cursed, and that in order to save herself she must - end of tape. Somebody has erased the rest, leaving her horrified and uncertain of her next move.Pathu Thala
2023-03-30An undercover cop goes into the big bad world, a place taken over by a don, where his safety may be compromised.See No Evil
2006-05-19A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel but little do they know reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight has holed away in the rotting hotel. When one of the teens is captured, those who remain band together to survive against the brutal killer.House of Wax
2005-05-05A group of unwitting teens are stranded near a strange wax museum and soon must fight to survive and keep from becoming the next exhibit.