Parents' Guide to

The Stepfather

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Horror remake has more tension than blood.

Movie PG-13 2009 101 minutes
The Stepfather Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 8 parent reviews

rizkyriz
rizkyriz Adult
February 14, 2021
age 17+

crime thriller - bloodless

this film succeed to make me pause and take a deep breath and get ready for what happening next. I enjoyed the first mid, it just the end I expected to be something clearer but it wasn't.

This title has:

Too much violence
Fernando V.
Fernando V. Parent of 8, 13 and 16-year-old
December 13, 2017
age 13+

The Stepfather Review

I wanted to like this movie. It a a meh film. Almost goreless. Very dissapointing but I did like the tension but it was not enough to keep me hook. I giving The Stepfather a 5/10
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A remake of the same-named 1987 cult classic (starring Lost's Terry O'Quinn), THE STEPFATHER follows David (Dylan Walsh), a man who finds broken families and insinuates himself into their lives in an effort to create a perfect, loving family. Unfortunately for the families he finds, deviations from his idea of "perfection" tend to result in him killing them and moving on to try again. The movie opens as he's leaving his latest failed attempt, only to make recent divorcee Susan (Sela Ward) his next target. Six months later, he's Susan's fiancee and is being introduced to her eldest son, Michael (Penn Badgley). As David tries frantically to keep his lies and tall tales from spinning out of control, Michael gets closer and closer to the truth ... and closer and closer to danger.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (27):

The best thing about The Stepfather remake is still the central idea about a man trying to make the perfect family via a very unusual methodology. The second best is Walsh's performance, which veers between bland affability and ice-cold fury at the flick of a switch. Director Nelson McCormick (who previously remade another '80s chiller, Prom Night, far less notably) at least knows when to get out of the way of the story and his star and let them do the work.

Unfortunately, McCormick tries to have it both ways by keeping the scares in The Stepfather low-key and predictable (for example, Michael's younger siblings are ushered off-stage for thefilm's climax, kept ata distance from the peril and bloodshed) -- as if he were hedging his own bets. Badgley and co-star Amber Heard make a nice duo of slow-to-doubt teens, and Ward anchors the film with an optimism that turns to concern as the facade of her fiancee's perfection crumbles in the light of the facts. The Stepfather isn't incompetent, grimly clueless, or actively bad -- it's just unnecessary and more than a little unimpressive in the unique light of the original.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the violence in this movie compares to bloodier horror films like the Saw series. Do the different types of violence have different impact? Is one scarier than the other?

  • What are the challenges that real families face when moving on after divorce and loss? Is any of what the on-screen family goes through relatable?

  • Why do you think Hollywood is so fond of remaking horror movies? Whatmotivates them?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 16, 2009
  • On DVD or streaming: February 9, 2010
  • Cast: Amber Heard, Dylan Walsh, Penn Badgley
  • Director: Nelson McCormick
  • Inclusion Information: Bisexual actors
  • Studio: Screen Gems
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 101 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, mature thematic material and brief sensuality
  • Last updated: February 18, 2023

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