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The Stepfather

Play trailer 2:27 Poster for The Stepfather PG-13 Released Oct 16, 2009 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
13% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, he discovers that his mother (Sela Ward) has a new man, named David (Dylan Walsh), in her life. Though David makes Michael's mother very happy, Michael cannot seem to shake feelings of distrust. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the man and wonders if the pleasant exterior hides a sinister side.
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The Stepfather

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Critics Consensus

This tepid remake of the 1987 cult classic lacks the tension and satirical undercurrents of the original.

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Critics Reviews

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Perri Nemiroff CinemaBlend The genre has diverged into two paths: the brutally gruesome and the suspenseful. This is going for the latter, which would have been fine if it were in fact thrilling. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 12, 2010 Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard There's mayhem all over the place and not a policeman, or much logic, in sight. Watchable nonsense, with performances better than the story deserves. Rated: 2/5 Dec 11, 2009 Full Review Empire Magazine Cliché-ridden and full of plot-holes. Rated: 2/5 Dec 11, 2009 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review This inane venture into familiar territory does nothing besides inspire audiences to put the 1987 original into their rental queue. Rated: 2/4 Aug 30, 2023 Full Review Stephanie Archer Film Inquiry While it suffers from a few plot holes, lack of gore, and some cheesy horror tropes along the way, it proves to be an enjoyable film overall. Jun 19, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Walsh's performance as David is so limp that it's difficult to imagine David outwitting any of his victims in the film. Rated: 1.0/4.0 Sep 24, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Christian M I liked the performances and the production, but the success of 'David' hinges on making everyone else behave as if they are fantastically stupid, which I find intolerable in a thriller. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/21/24 Full Review Bahad j I really liked the characters and actions of the actors Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/13/24 Full Review angela g did not hate the movie but i did not like the cliff hanger ending Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/04/24 Full Review Junji Ito's G There's no way this guy would have gotten away with it all, he made too many mistakes. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/16/24 Full Review Adrian R Lacks credibility, especially the ending - watching this is not a good use of your time. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/26/23 Full Review MrPetition solid movie it passed the time and was quite entertaining. Tho it was okay horror wise I don't think it has any rewatchability Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Stepfather

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The Stepfather

The Stepfather: Trailer 1 The Stepfather: Trailer 1 2:27 View more videos
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The Stepfather

Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." (L-R) Dylan Walsh as David Harris and Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." (L-R) Dylan Walsh and director Nelson McCormick on the set of "The Stepfather." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, he discovers that his mother (Sela Ward) has a new man, named David (Dylan Walsh), in her life. Though David makes Michael's mother very happy, Michael cannot seem to shake feelings of distrust. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the man and wonders if the pleasant exterior hides a sinister side.
Director
Nelson McCormick
Producer
Mark Morgan, Greg Mooradian
Screenwriter
J.S. Cardone
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Maverick Films, Granada Film Productions, Imprint Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Images|Brief Sensuality|Intense Sequences of Violence|Mature Thematic Material)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 9, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$29.1M
Runtime
1h 41m
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