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Poster for The Stepfather

The Stepfather

1987 · 89 min

A slow-burning, quietly tense psychological thriller that makes you uneasy about the smiling man next door.

Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Starring
Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack
Tagline
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.

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Stream in the UK
  • Cultpix
  • ITVX Premium
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Starring
Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • eeriestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • family
  • identity
  • obsession
  • deception
  • isolation
Places
  • suburbs
  • small town
  • home
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror7
Humour2
Realism7
Romance3
Tension8
Darkness8
Complexity5
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Cultpix
  • ITVX Premium
Free
  • ITVX
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
horror, thriller
Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Written by
Donald E. Westlake
Starring
Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Lanyer, Stephen Shellen, Stephen E. Miller, Robyn Stevan, Jeff Schultz
Music
Patrick Moraz
Cinematography
John Lindley
Runtime
89 min
Country
United States of America, United Kingdom
Languages
English

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