The Stepfather

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)

Ralph R The Stepfather remake is a horror flick with a clean suburban sheen but it kinda feels like it was checked off a list rather than crafted. Direction and production look fine, the visuals are sharp, but there’s zero bite. Dylan Walsh is solidly creepy as quietly obsessive David, so credit there. Penn Badgley does okay as the suspicious teen, but the script keeps tripping him up with unbelievable choices. The rest of the cast? Sela Ward brings realism, And Amber Heard..... Story-wise, the setup is the only thing that grabs you; once the pattern kicks in, it gets predictable real quick. By the time you hit the ending, you’re like “yep”. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review BRizz 2 The Stepfather (2009) 🎬 Starring: Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard 🎭 Genre: Thriller / Suspense Let’s talk about The Stepfather — a film that got absolutely slammed by critics and shrugged off by general audiences. But here’s the thing: while it’s far from perfect and has its fair share of flaws, it’s still entertaining. And sometimes, that’s enough. This movie isn’t trying to reinvent the thriller genre, and it doesn’t need to. It gives us tension, mystery, and that uneasy feeling that something’s just a little off — all the ingredients of a decent psychological thriller. Is it brilliant? No. But it doesn’t have to be. It grabs your attention and holds onto it, and in my opinion, that’s worth something. Dylan Walsh delivers a chilling performance as the “stepfather” with a dark agenda. He plays that all-American nice guy with a secret just a little too well, and it works. Sela Ward brings warmth and vulnerability to her role, grounding the film with some emotional weight. Penn Badgley really surprised me here — this was before You, but you can already see glimpses of that intensity he would later master in the Netflix series. He’s got this natural presence that pulls you in, and he does a great job keeping the audience engaged as the one person in the house who starts sensing something’s not right. Then there’s Amber Heard. Yes, I know her name stirs up controversy now, but if we’re being fair — she did a solid job in this role. She wasn’t the problem here, and I believe some of the hate this film gets is retroactive because of her personal life. A lot of her past work has been unfairly reevaluated under a new lens, and this film is one of them. Is The Stepfather a masterpiece? No. But it’s suspenseful, eerie, and worth a late-night watch. The script could’ve been tighter, and there are definitely clichés, but the movie knows what it is — a domestic thriller meant to get under your skin — and it does that. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review precision B I thought The Stepfather was one of my favorite movies. You just never know who you think you know Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/25 Full Review 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 1.5/5 Stars •  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 5/5 Stars •  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 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/04/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Stepfather

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now