The Stepfather

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1:52

The Stepfather

R

Released Jan 23, 1987

1h 28m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

66%

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

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.

Sep 13, 2023

Full Review

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

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

Rated: B+

Jan 15, 2008

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Variety Staff

Variety

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

Sep 24, 2007

Full Review

Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

"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.

Rated: B+

Mar 23, 2025

Full Review

Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

'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.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 31, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The movie proves to be an involving thriller, primarily because of O’Quinn’s menacing performance.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 30, 2023

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Gi S

Good movie but I fail to see that it is any better than the remake in 2009. Basically the same movie. Just my opinion about it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/10/25

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Craig W.

This is a really great horror/thriller from 80s. Terry O’quinn is fantastic. This is way better than the remake

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

Full Review

Nick O

Terry O’Quinn could teach a class in cinematic creepiness after playing this amazing role of a serial stepdad/killer. Not a typical slasher and that’s what makes it memorable!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/12/25

Full Review

Madam D

3.25 stars Based on the true story of a man who murders his entire family. While the plot doesn't follow the actual story, Terry O'Quinn's acting makes it worthwhile.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/25

Full Review

Johnathon W

Solid thriller thanks to a great lead performance form Terry O'Quinn along with some brisk direction. The main appeal is O'Quinn's performance as the title character, playing him with the perfect mix of charm and menace that you understand why so many people fall for his act but are still afraid of him. Plus, you geniunely believe he just wants a happy family, at least on the surface, until something goes wrong. Behind the camera, director Joseph Rubin, delivers a solid thriller that never over stays its welcome (it comes end at a crisp 90 minutes) though it does get a bit cheesy at times, especially when the one-liners start dropping. The result is a solid thriller set up by a great lead performance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Over 35 years old I watched it back 15 years ago and really enjoyed it It’s far superior than the dreaded remake Terry O' Quinn gives one of the scariest performances of his career playing a man unhinged obsessed with traditional family values even murdering to uphold them, very creepy split personality bit Jill Schoelen's voice still bothers me though, sounds like she smoked a lot of cigarettes It's cool that this movie gained a cult following even though the box office numbers failed as did the sequels This still got big acclaim from critics A suburban horror thriller that still works with that Norman Rockwell feel colliding with a raging psychopath

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

Full Review

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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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The Stepfather: Trailer 1

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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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