The Stepfather: A Thrill-free Weekend

ScreenGems’ The Stepfather needs to rip a page out of the Disturbia playbook, because there was nothing scary or “thrilling” about this movie. I’m usually first in line for anything related to horror, thriller or suspense, but besides two or three leap-out-of-my-seat moments, I was pretty bored the entire time.

In 1987, the original The Stepfather debuted, starring Terry O’Quinn (Lost), and it’s based on the true story of John List of New Jersey. For 18 years, List was sought by the authorities for the 1971 murder of his mother, wife and three children. He was finally apprehended in 1989 following an America’s Most Wanted broadcast depicting the murder.

Director Nelson McCormick and writer J.S. Cardone teamed up again in the hopes, I‘m sure, of producing something better than their last project (they’d previously worked on the horror movie Prom Night which was horrid!). But sadly, I don’t think it went as planned.

The cast actually didn’t bother me all that much. Dylan Walsh of Nip/Tuck plays the title role of David Harris. And for someone like me who’s used to seeing him as the more mild manner half of McNamara-Troy, it was fun to watch him take on such a complex role. I actually think he nailed it as the sweet looking man who seems like he could do no wrong but suddenly unravels before our eyes.  Joining Walsh is Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl) as the soon-to-be step son Michael Harding. This was his feature film debut so I’m sure he was feeling the pressure especially since all his castmates are also making names for themselves outside of the CW, but I was underwhelmed. His acting wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t like he was stretching himself. It was basically Dan Humphrey in the suburbs with a different blond, frisky girlfriend. Other cast members include Sela Ward (Once and Again), who plays the mom Susan Harding, Amber Heard from Pineapple Express, who plays the skeptical girlfriend Kelly and Paige Turco (who I will always envy because she played April O’Neil in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies, and I used to pretend they were all my boyfriends) as Susan’s sister.

After returning home from military school, Michael must learn how to live with a new man in his life. David and Susan have only known each other for six months, but they’re ready to walk down the aisle. He seems like the perfect guy to Susan’s friends, other two children and Kelly, especially since her ex (Michael’s father) won’t be winning any Father of the Year awards anytime soon. But Michael is suspicious from the start. Slowly but surely, he starts to piece together the real history of this stranger he has to share a roof with, and it’s not pretty.

From the beginning of the film, the audience is clued into the back story. There’s no qualms that this guy is the antagonist, and you can pretty much figure out how the story will play out. Unfortunately having this insight is exactly what makes the film so boring. The entire time you’re just waiting for something to happen so when nothing does for the first hour and 15 minutes, at least I, got extremely frustrated. And by the sounds of the audiences I watched with, I’m not the only one. It was also rated PG-13 which didn’t help the “thrill” part of the film which can usually be heightened with little blood, gore and nudity.

When I heard about this film, I immediately likened it to the Amityville Horror movies (let it be known that The Stepfather has absolutely nothing to do with the paranormal). But just the idea of a father going crazy and hurting those most dear to them is one of the most terrifying things I could imagine. Yet as sick and twisted as it is, it’s an interesting story if only because it could be an intriguing character study of a deranged man. Sadly instead of taking the road less traveled, everything was as predictable as it could possibly be. If I had the choice to go back in time and do it all over, I’d stay home and rent the original instead. I’d strongly advise you to do the same.