Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- ominous
- paranoid
- tense
- horror movie night
- late night thriller viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the remake as a handsome but mild and predictable suspense film, with some praise for its performances and craft.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David presents himself as a helpful prospective stepfather while Michael suspects that he is concealing a murderous identity.
Michael’s growing suspicion of his mother’s new boyfriend drives the film’s tension in a familiar residential setting.
The plot describes David beginning a new family under a different identity after killing his previous family.
The film combines a family-centered mystery about David’s hidden dark side with serial-killer and slasher elements.
Films like The Stepfather, and why
The Stepfather
shares domestic paranoia, hidden identity, serial killer suspense, and a threatened family unit
Arlington Road
shares suburban domestic menace, a suspicious outsider, and escalating psychological suspense
The Good Son
shares a seemingly ideal family environment corrupted by concealed violence and thriller tension
Disturbing Behavior
shares slasher conventions, teenage protagonists, stalking, and a violent hidden killer
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
shares domestic horror, a dangerous family figure, and suspense built around an adolescent investigator
Movie Details
- Director
- Nelson McCormick
- Release Date
- 2009-10-16
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (980)
Cast
- Dylan Walsh
- Sela Ward
- Penn Badgley
- Amber Heard
- Sherry Stringfield
- Paige Turco
- Jon Tenney
- Nancy Linehan Charles
- Marcuis Harris
- Braeden Lemasters
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Stepfather about?
- A returning military-school student investigates his mother’s charming new partner and discovers that domestic security may conceal a serial killer.
- What is The Stepfather like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Stepfather as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Stepfather violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Stepfather as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Stepfather?
- Critics broadly regarded the remake as a handsome but mild and predictable suspense film, with some praise for its performances and craft.
- Which films are like The Stepfather?
- Films with a similar feel include The Stepfather, Arlington Road, The Good Son, Disturbing Behavior, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
- How long is The Stepfather?
- The Stepfather runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Stepfather?
- In United States, The Stepfather streams on YouTube TV.
