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Trailer

The Stepfather

1987Movie1 h 29 minR

HorrorThriller
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb6.7Metacritic727.1Rotten Tomatoes89%66%

A tense, bleak horror movie about everyday modern life and family.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or uplift.

Movies with

Story

He wanted a perfect family in a perfect town. But they couldn't measure up...Neither could the others...

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.

Feels like

  • Psychological Horror
  • Suburban Nightmare
  • Dysfunctional Family
  • Identity and Deception
  • Escalating Tension
  • Disturbing Violence
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Unstable Protagonist
  • Classic Thriller

Cast

21 of 21

Crew

Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Written by
Donald E. Westlake, Brian Garfield, Carolyn Lefcourt
Produced by
Jay Benson
Music by
Patrick Moraz

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

January 23, 1987 · 1 h 29 min · R

Released
January 23, 1987
Runtime
1 h 29 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Strong Language
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Original language
English
Made in
United States, United Kingdom
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$2 million
Available in
109 countries

Tropes

Unhand Them, Villain!, Spot the Thread, Took a Level in Dumbass +9

  • Unhand Them, Villain!
  • Spot the Thread
  • Took a Level in Dumbass
  • Cool Old Guy
  • Grievous Bottley Harm
  • Big Bad
  • Flashback Nightmare
  • Bludgeoned to Death
  • Guess Who I'm Marrying?
  • Wood Chipper of Doom
  • The Perfectionist
  • Death of a Child

12 of 86 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream The Stepfather?"

Questions about The Stepfather

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Stepfather?

PrimefuboTVPhiloThe RokuKanopyHooplaFandango at Home FreeFandor

In the United States, The Stepfather streams on Prime, fuboTV, Fandor, Night Flight+, and Screambox, and it is free with ads on Philo, The Roku, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Fawesome, Cineverse, Xumo Play, Mometu, Tubi TV, and Amazon MX Player. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 108 other countries.

Is The Stepfather worth watching?

73
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 73 (IMDb 6.7, Rotten Tomatoes 89%, and Metacritic 72). Critics rate it higher (81 out of 100) than audiences (68).

Will The Stepfather scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

At times: scares are rated 7 of 10.

Will I feel good after watching The Stepfather?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 5 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

What tropes does The Stepfather use?

Unhand Them, Villain!Spot the ThreadTook a Level in DumbassCool Old GuyGrievous Bottley HarmBig BadFlashback NightmareBludgeoned to DeathGuess Who I'm Marrying?Wood Chipper of DoomThe PerfectionistDeath of a Childand 74 more

TV Tropes lists 86 tropes for it, including Unhand Them, Villain!, Spot the Thread, and Took a Level in Dumbass.