The Stepfather(1987)
"He wanted a perfect family in a perfect town. But they couldn't measure up...Neither could the others..."
Overview
Seemingly mild-mannered Henry Morrison has just murdered his entire family. After adopting a new identity and skipping town, he begins building a new relationship with a widow and her teenage daughter. However, he soon begins struggling to hide his true identity and maintain a grip on reality.
Donald E. Westlake
Screenplay
Brian Garfield
Story
Carolyn Lefcourt
Story
Donald E. Westlake
Story
Joseph Ruben
Director
Top Billed Cast
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![The Stepfather (1987) Original Trailer [FHD]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ps4RdbvO0Gc/hqdefault.jpg)
The Stepfather (1987) Original Trailer [FHD]
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Stepfather (1987) - DVD Trailer
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TCM Slumberground | Wicked Stepmother (1989) & The Stepfather (1987)
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Josh Olson on THE STEPFATHER (Trailer Commentary)
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Written on September 5, 2019
After an amiable man (Terry O'Quinn) in the Seattle area slays his family he starts a new one under a different identity, but his discerning stepdaughter (Jill Schoelen) picks up on his questionable morality.
“The Stepfather” (1987) is a solid crime drama/thriller with a bit o’ horror. Movies like “Psycho” (1960), “Play Misty for Me” (1971), “Halloween” (1978), “The Shining” (1980) and “Fatal Attraction” (1987) come to mind, but this is equal parts coming-of-age drama in the mold of “The Crush” (1993) with a sort of inverted story. O’Quinn effectively portrays the delusional titular character while Schoelen is reminiscent of a young Demi Moore. The decidedly 80’s score is quaint.
The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in the Vancouver area, including Edgemont Village. The main cast is rounded out by Shelley Hack (the girl’s mother), Charles Lanyer (her therapist) and Stephen Shellen (the justice-seeking brother of the original family).
GRADE: B+
