The Stepfather

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1:52

The Stepfather

R

1987

1h 28m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) is a family man, but he happens to have a series of families, with each one on the receiving end of his murderous ways. When Jerry sets his sights on a lovely widow named Susan (Shelley Hack) and her headstrong daughter, Stephanie (Jill Schoelen), it appears that his brutal pattern of killings will continue. However, Stephanie begins to suspect that there's something wrong with the seemingly well-adjusted Jerry, and a violent confrontation is inevitable.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

The Stepfather is a cunning, shapely thriller -- a beautiful piece of construction. But it could easily be overlooked, because it has a placid surface that resembles B-picture banality.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

01/15/2008

B+

Ruben's surprisingly resonant and durable tale ... cannily reflects, in a larger way, the era of its creation

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Variety Staff

Variety

09/24/2007

An engrossing suspense thriller that refreshingly doesn't cheat the audience in terms of valid clues and plot twists.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Aug 11

4/5

Terry O'Quinn is magnetic in a film that understands the domestic sphere is the perfect place for terror. Also: RIP for that dumb brother

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

03/23/2025

B+

"The Stepfather" ultimately gives in and offers a formulaic finale, but the journey there is more intriguing, with the disintegration of Jerry's faux identity leading to sharp scenes of suspense and psychological fracture.

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Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

12/31/2024

3/5

'The Stepfather' feels like a 'Fear Street' novel but with adults and more blood. I'm not mad at that, and I enjoy that vibe. However, I also understand that's not everyone's bag.

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Jul 22

8.6/10 Thriller Creepy Murderer marries widows and becomes stepfather. The guy who plays John Locke from lost is the lead. Great late 80s thriller

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thiago S

@Thiagostone May 14

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Michael P

@TheeMichael-jai May 3

A pretty much mediocre tale of scarce loneliness and new love in families.

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Julian C

@juliancooper_12 May 2

Terry O'Quinn's performance is the best thing about this movie. Despite it feeling like a TV movie, the amount of suspense throughout makes up for it.

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Caleb L

@RT83793999 Oct 5

One of the best psychological horror films out there. Terry O'Quinn is incredible in this.

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A.L.Jude P

@judebd 08/25/2025

Awful and sored acting by Jill Schoelen made the whole movie to the category of good plot and a bad script.

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Joseph Ruben

Director

Terry O'Quinn

Jerry Blake

Jill Schoelen

Stephanie

Shelley Hack

Susan

Charles Lanyer

Dr. Bondurant

Stephen Shellen

Jim Ogilvie

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17%

50%

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Synopsis

Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) is a family man, but he happens to have a series of families, with each one on the receiving end of his murderous ways. When Jerry sets his sights on a lovely widow named Susan (Shelley Hack) and her headstrong daughter, Stephanie (Jill Schoelen), it appears that his brutal pattern of killings will continue. However, Stephanie begins to suspect that there's something wrong with the seemingly well-adjusted Jerry, and a violent confrontation is inevitable.

Director: Joseph Ruben
Producer: Jay Benson
Screenwriter: Donald E. Westlake
Distributor: New Century Vista Film Company [us]
Production Co: ITC Productions, Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 26, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.6M
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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