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The Stepfather

Play trailer 2:27 Poster for The Stepfather PG-13 2009 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
14% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, he discovers that his mother (Sela Ward) has a new man, named David (Dylan Walsh), in her life. Though David makes Michael's mother very happy, Michael cannot seem to shake feelings of distrust. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the man and wonders if the pleasant exterior hides a sinister side.
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The Stepfather

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Critics Consensus

This tepid remake of the 1987 cult classic lacks the tension and satirical undercurrents of the original.

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Critics Reviews

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Perri Nemiroff CinemaBlend Aug 12, 2010
2.5/5
The genre has diverged into two paths: the brutally gruesome and the suspenseful. This is going for the latter, which would have been fine if it were in fact thrilling. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Dec 11, 2009
2/5
There's mayhem all over the place and not a policeman, or much logic, in sight. Watchable nonsense, with performances better than the story deserves. Go to Full Review Empire Magazine Dec 11, 2009
2/5
Cliché-ridden and full of plot-holes. Go to Full Review Joe Lipsett Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting Aug 18, 2026
3/5
The remake is bigger and longer and gender swaps the teen character...but curiously doesn't do anything with the newfound male energy. Emblematic of the 00s remake craze - for better and worse Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Aug 30, 2023
2/4
This inane venture into familiar territory does nothing besides inspire audiences to put the 1987 original into their rental queue. Go to Full Review Stephanie Archer Film Inquiry Jun 19, 2021
While it suffers from a few plot holes, lack of gore, and some cheesy horror tropes along the way, it proves to be an enjoyable film overall. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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B P @Bradster69 Sep 1, 2026 Not Bad, but Not My Favorite See more J H @UpstateNYThriller Jul 22, 2026 7.7 / 10 Great thriller movie, Mystery Murderer Stepdad with no name, kills family then moves on Penn Badgley is in it. Late 2000s movie. Killer thriller type movie, takes place in Oregon. See more Stoner J @Stoner Jul 15, 2026 Sure it ain’t the original, but it’s a solid remake that’s very entertaining, and far underrated. See more Victor D @Loyal_998 Jul 13, 2026 Im gonna write that this movie is boring and not interested to be re-watchable. Nothing about this was a good story to end like that. See more The W @TheWagners Jul 4, 2026 Again with these terrible remakes, a movie that doesn't take anything seriously. You'll wonder why there are no kills or there's no thrilling things happening. The effects are so bad as well. Terrible movie See more Ralph R @RT14837316 Aug 3, 2025 The Stepfather remake is a horror flick with a clean suburban sheen but it kinda feels like it was checked off a list rather than crafted. Direction and production look fine, the visuals are sharp, but there’s zero bite. Dylan Walsh is solidly creepy as quietly obsessive David, so credit there. Penn Badgley does okay as the suspicious teen, but the script keeps tripping him up with unbelievable choices. The rest of the cast? Sela Ward brings realism, And Amber Heard..... Story-wise, the setup is the only thing that grabs you; once the pattern kicks in, it gets predictable real quick. By the time you hit the ending, you’re like “yep”. See more Read all reviews
The Stepfather

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Cast & Crew

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Nelson McCormick

Director

Dylan Walsh

David Harris

Sela Ward

Susan Harding

Penn Badgley

Michael Harding

Amber Heard

Kelly Porter

Jon Tenney

Jay

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The Stepfather

The Stepfather: Trailer 1 The Stepfather: Trailer 1 2:27 Now Playing View more videos
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The Stepfather

Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." (L-R) Dylan Walsh as David Harris and Penn Badgley as Michael Harding in "The Stepfather." Dylan Walsh as David Harris in "The Stepfather." (L-R) Dylan Walsh and director Nelson McCormick on the set of "The Stepfather." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, he discovers that his mother (Sela Ward) has a new man, named David (Dylan Walsh), in her life. Though David makes Michael's mother very happy, Michael cannot seem to shake feelings of distrust. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the man and wonders if the pleasant exterior hides a sinister side.
Director
Nelson McCormick
Producer
Mark Morgan, Greg Mooradian
Screenwriter
J.S. Cardone
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Maverick Films, Imprint Entertainment, Granada Film Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Images|Brief Sensuality|Intense Sequences of Violence|Mature Thematic Material)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 9, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$29.1M
Runtime
1h 41m
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