The Stepfather

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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 4/5 Stars •  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 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/24 Full Review Jeff M This is one of the first horror films I remember seeing in my younger years - I was probably about 14 when I first watched it - and at the time I found it somewhat disturbing. Well, my how the times have changed! Amazingly this received quite favorable reviews - it sits at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes - but it simply doesn't work! It almost plays like a satire, but if that was the intent of the filmmakers, they played it way too safe. I know I pick on Hallmark movies way too much, but this feels like a Hallmark version of a horror movie. The acting is mediocre across the board. It's always nice to see a character actor like O'Quinn get a leading role, but his performance is so over the top it often comes across as comical. Schoelen is wooden in her attempt at portraying the rebellious troubled child, and she's not a protagonist we particularly root for. Hack is lovely but an ironing board would have more presence. There is potential here for a really great thriller, but it's predictable, uninspired, and there is absolutely no tension or suspense. It has no cajones!!! Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Alec B The script is a decent, though not great, character study/thriller. O'Quinn's utterly captivating and terrifying performance is what elevates the material and is likely the reason for why the movie has lingered in the cultural consciousness. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Jens B Very entertaining serial killer flick that tries hard not to be a slasher. And I didn't feel that the film was missing kills. I was just curious to see what O'Quinn would do in the next scene. This film is part of: ✨IDIOTIC GERMAN TITLES✨ THE STEPFATHER was released in Germany as KILL, DADDY, KILL! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/18/23 Full Review Ash P I've watched this movie once before but that was when I was at work. Now that I've had the time to watch it again for real, it's a fun little suspense film as slasher movies goes. A decent script with pretty good acting especially Terry O'Quinn playing the stepfather while the mother and daughter played well to live in bliss before the truth was let loose. The suspense moments were decent along with the subtle scenes. Hell, the highlight is looking at O'Quinn's character as if he Norman Bates from Psycho. Not much of an impact as 80s horror films goes but still a fun film to pass the time if you're a fan of horror altogether. 7/10. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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