The Stepfather (1987)
-
Showtimes
-
Movie Details
COMING SOON
Check back soon for more information.
Videos & Photos
- Trailer for The Stepfather (01:20)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
After murdering his entire family, a man marries a widow with a teenage daughter in another town and prepares to do it all over again.
Cast
- Terry O'Quinn
- Jill Schoelen
- Shelley Hack
- Charles Lanyer
- Stephen Shellen
- Stephen E. Miller
- Robyn Stevan
- Jeff Schultz
- Lindsay Bourne
- Anna Hagan
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.3
45.7K
20.3K
11.2K
- Dec 10, 2021
I can sort of see where this guy's coming from but he's gotta calm down.
Branson ReeseAug 28, 2018I love this movie because it’s honestly pretty predictable, but damn if isn’t a great time anyway. A white man wanting to magically live the Great White Straight Dream without actually having to obtain it isn’t exactly the craziest setup in the world. I think that maybe I…
Tony the TerrorJun 11, 2025Not gonna lie, I, too, often escape to the basement in fits of frustration to punch things and swear like a sailor. Not saying I’d, ya know, murder my entire family or anything, but, like, kids just suck sometimes, ok? Anyway, happy early Father’s Day!
Matt! - Oct 28, 2025
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Metacritic Metascore: 72 IMDB: 6.7 81/100 Spooktober 2025 Jerry Blake: "Who am I here?" Joseph Ruben's psychological thriller works because it understands something crucial—real horror isn't about monsters, it's about the guy next door hiding…
@NavyVet🔥🔥🔥Oct 16, 2021“Wait, who am I here?” One of the most chilling moments in 80’s horror. What’s a slasher movie that has a fantastic lead, great, unexpected twists and strives for being more psychological than your average slasher? A definite cut above thanks mainly to Terry O’Quinn’s…
Joe LynchJul 12, 2026The heteronormative family as cornerstone of society is a construct. A construct to keep the capitalist engine running. The father needs a place to come home to after work, unwind, reload his batteries, only to be sucked dry again the next day. The mother needs to breed and…
Yves Bouwen - Mar 23, 2025
he wasn’t the stepfather, he was the father that stepped up (into their lives and tried to kill them)
theoJun 20, 2022The parallels between The Stepfather and Reagan/MAGA psychology are quite evident, but by thoroughly establishing the villain’s obsession with a Leave It to Beaver portrait of suburban family life, the film unearths its infectious root cause, the same one George Carlin so…
anna nomalyOct 30, 2022There is something very sinister about a mild mannered, average Joe/plain Jane turning out to be a homicidal maniac. It's the implication that you really can't trust anyone, that you're never actually safe. That sweet old lady walking her dog? That loving, family man? That…
Lou (rhymes with wow!)
Queue Community Reviews
88%
Community 367
Top Reviews
- Morgan likedThe Stepfather
not mild blowing or anything but a fun lil movie :) kinda boring though
ChaosStrolling lovedThe StepfatherThe stepfather’s acting was fantastic, the mumbling to himself and the “who am I here” was excellent and effective. His starting glimpses of madness can be a little cheesy but I still think it’s well done. A pretty predictable story but still an enjoyable one to watch.
Evan Vachon likedThe Stepfather7/10 A solid psychological thriller. The who am I here scene might be one of my favorite scenes in a horror movie. Terry O’Quinn gives a great performance and is easily the best part of the movie. Also the fall vibes in this movie are immaculate
- Angie Lankford lovedThe Stepfather
Another underrated 80s gem! Terry O’Quinn is fantastic as a serial killer hiding in plain sight, but Jill Schoelen is just as good as the stepdaughter who doesn’t trust the man who recently married her mother.👍🏻👍🏻
Amya B likedThe StepfatherCULT CLASSIC some things about this are certainly not great but overall it’s a great premise with really good acting, toes the line of camp really close and it works!
parkersherrod likedThe StepfatherDifferent than other slashers. I appreciated the themes of familial love/neglect. Not a must watch, but the lead performance definitely is the highlight.
- Edward Kronkvist likedThe Stepfather
It was a decent slasher with some cool kills. But it could have had better passing and some more kills because the kills we got was very few.
Brett Bettendorf likedThe StepfatherI really enjoyed it. I like the daughter was always suspicious. It also was interesting how the step father had all of his different looks.
Justdemonata lovedThe StepfatherVery entertaining suspenseful movie. Definitely recommend!! Terry really know how to act. He plays crazy so well it’s terrifying.
Atom Users Reviews
Metacritic
This 1987 film doesn't quite leave its slasher antecedents behind, but the styling is never less than assured, and Ruben knows how to put bland, unruffled surfaces to sinister Hitchcockian uses.
Pat Graham
Chicago Reader
The Stepfather has one wonderful element: Terry O'Quinn's performance.
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
The Stepfather doesn’t hold up quite as well as it did during the late 1980s (some of the film’s technical aspects are dated) but it still generates tension and suspense and O’Quinn’s performance has lost none of its power.
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is The Stepfather (1987)?
The movie is 1hr 29min long.
What's The Stepfather (1987) about?
After murdering his entire family, a man marries a widow with a teenage daughter in another town and prepares to do it all over again.
Who's the cast of The Stepfather (1987)?
- Terry O'Quinn as Jerry Blake
- Jill Schoelen as Stephanie
- Shelley Hack as Susan
- Charles Lanyer as Dr. Bondurant
- Stephen Shellen as Jim Ogilvie
- Stephen E. Miller as Al Brennan
- Robyn Stevan as Karen
- Jeff Schultz as Paul Baker
- Lindsay Bourne as Art Teacher
- Anna Hagan as Mrs. Leitner
Who's the director behind The Stepfather (1987)?
Joseph Ruben directed The Stepfather (1987).
Who produced The Stepfather (1987)?
Jay Benson produced The Stepfather (1987).
Full Screen Image Viewer
Target Exclusive Showing
Don't Have The Password?