THE STEPFATHER. Directed by Joseph Ruben; written by Donald E. Westlake; produced by Jay Benson for ITC Productions. Starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen and Shelley Hack. Rated R (violence, a little raw language and nudity).
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Wicked stepmothers abound in fairy tales, but their male counterparts are rare. Well, the men go a long way toward catching up with The Stepfather.
The movie is a well-made, slightly off-beat thriller with a story out of every step-child's worst nightmares. The child in question here is Stephanie (Schoelen), an only child with no siblings to offer comfort or distraction. She's vaguely suspicious of stepdad Jerry (O'Quinn), but mom (Hack), her psychologist and even her friends figure she's just having trouble adjusting to the new situation.
But we know differently, since the movie is told almost entirely from Jerry's point of view. And we already know what happened to his previous family. (Whether or not they were another step-family is one of the tantalizing questions the movie leaves unanswered.)
The opening sequence of The Stepfather is painfully suspenseful. A man, splattered with blood, but quite calm and deliberate, washes his face, changes clothes and shaves his beard.
Satisified with his new appearance, he heads downstairs. Between the bathroom and the front door we see the reasons for all the blood. A scene without dialogue, it's a masterpiece of visual storytelling and pure horror.
There are several other scenes in the movie that are just as expertly filmed. The transitions between them may not always work as well, however. And film technique that calls attention to its expertise like this doesn't usually make for the best movies, but it does make interesting watching.
O'Quinn gives a remarkable performance as the deeply disturbed killer. We get to know him better than we do most screen villians. We can see, mostly through his facial expressions and body language, the price he pays for keeping his rage under control. And we can understand—though certainly not sympathize—when he must vent that rage.
Intelligent, charming and dangerously deceptive, Jerry is a frightening villian. But he is a human being, too, with complex needs and no doubt a tortured past (another unanswered question). You don't want to see characters like this every time you go to the movies, but you have to admire the artistry that can create them.
Schoelen doesn't do anything spectacular as Stephanie, but she's adequate. Her role, though it entails a lot of onscreen time, doesn't involve much more than sulking and suspicious looks. When called upon to do more, she's not as convincing.
The mother's character is practically superfluous, except that Jerry has to marry someone to become a stepfather. Hack does a good job with the small part. But it would have been interesting to see more of just how someone like Jerry could charm his way into her affections and her trust so quickly.
Compared to most slasher movies The Stepfather doesn't have a lot of gore, but there is some—more than was needed. The artistry of the movie recalls Alfred Hitchcock in many scenes (there's even one in a shower). But Hitchcock didn't use onscreen blood at all and got just as many chills and screams out of his audiences—if not more.
Often, what you only imagine is worse, and certainly more frightening, than seeing the real thing... or a special effects idea of the real thing.
The Stepfather is definitely not for the squeamish or the fainthearted.
February 11, 1987