The Stepfather (2009)
2/4
Starring: Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Amber Heard
The version of the film being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut was rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence, Disturbing Images, Mature Thematic Material and Brief Sensuality
Nelson McCormick's 2009 thriller is a remake of the 1987 film starring Terry O'Quinn (who would later go on to star in the TV show "Lost"). It was a wildly uneven thriller, capable of producing both chills and unintentional laughs. This remake has turned what was originally a psychological thriller into a PG-13 slasher movie (the "unrated" label is a misnomer--there's nothing R-rated about it)...and not for the better.
Michael (Badgley) has just returned home from military school to find that his mother (Ward) has become engaged to a man named David (Walsh). David appears to be the perfect guy; he's polite, charming, big on family and always helpful to everyone. He's almost too good to be true, and when a batty neighbor mentions that David looks like a composite sketch of a guy on America's Most Wanted, Michael's suspicions are raised. Is David really who he says he is, or is he a serial killer who murders his family when they disappoint him?
There's no rule that when you remake a movie, you can't change the genre. Quite frankly, with a few clever rewrites and a lot of atmosphere, this story could be a good slasher movie. Unfortunately, "clever" is not a word that anyone is going to use to describe this movie, and there's not much atmosphere until the end. McCormick, who directed the much maligned "Prom Night" remake (another PG-13 slasher movie), is in over his head. He knows nothing about character identification or escalating tension, two things that are crucial for this kind of movie.
Surprisingly, the performances work. Penn Badgley is good as the ex-bad boy (which we never see or hear about) turned all-American teenager. Badgely has become a relatively hot commodity based on his role in "Gossip Girl" and, more importantly, his smoldering good looks. But Badgley is good in the role, and it doesn't take us long to get behind him. I was also pleased with Dylan Walsh's acting as well. Based on his performance as a meek wusses on "Nip/Tuck" and "Congo" I thought casting Walsh as a psychopath to be laughable. Actually, he's quite convincing. Sela Ward is effective as the mom, but Amber Heard is a little stiff as Michael's girlfriend Kelly.
The thing that really gets me about this movie is that it's kind of sick. I have nothing against violence in movies (they're a necessity in slasher movies), but by accident (he's too untalented for this to be on purpose) McCormick has tapped into something almost repulsive. It's at times exploitative when it comes to murdered families (including shots of bullet ridden kids), and that makes some scenes uncomfortable. Plus, the film is obvious in its obsessive quest to get a PG-13 rating. Either make an honest R-rated slasher movie, or rewrite the movie so that it should be a PG-13 movie.
I'm not recommending the film (nor the original, which as I've said isn't very good). The performances are wasted in the service of a movie that doesn't have the guts to be what it actually is.
Starring: Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Amber Heard
The version of the film being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut was rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence, Disturbing Images, Mature Thematic Material and Brief Sensuality
Nelson McCormick's 2009 thriller is a remake of the 1987 film starring Terry O'Quinn (who would later go on to star in the TV show "Lost"). It was a wildly uneven thriller, capable of producing both chills and unintentional laughs. This remake has turned what was originally a psychological thriller into a PG-13 slasher movie (the "unrated" label is a misnomer--there's nothing R-rated about it)...and not for the better.
Michael (Badgley) has just returned home from military school to find that his mother (Ward) has become engaged to a man named David (Walsh). David appears to be the perfect guy; he's polite, charming, big on family and always helpful to everyone. He's almost too good to be true, and when a batty neighbor mentions that David looks like a composite sketch of a guy on America's Most Wanted, Michael's suspicions are raised. Is David really who he says he is, or is he a serial killer who murders his family when they disappoint him?
There's no rule that when you remake a movie, you can't change the genre. Quite frankly, with a few clever rewrites and a lot of atmosphere, this story could be a good slasher movie. Unfortunately, "clever" is not a word that anyone is going to use to describe this movie, and there's not much atmosphere until the end. McCormick, who directed the much maligned "Prom Night" remake (another PG-13 slasher movie), is in over his head. He knows nothing about character identification or escalating tension, two things that are crucial for this kind of movie.
Surprisingly, the performances work. Penn Badgley is good as the ex-bad boy (which we never see or hear about) turned all-American teenager. Badgely has become a relatively hot commodity based on his role in "Gossip Girl" and, more importantly, his smoldering good looks. But Badgley is good in the role, and it doesn't take us long to get behind him. I was also pleased with Dylan Walsh's acting as well. Based on his performance as a meek wusses on "Nip/Tuck" and "Congo" I thought casting Walsh as a psychopath to be laughable. Actually, he's quite convincing. Sela Ward is effective as the mom, but Amber Heard is a little stiff as Michael's girlfriend Kelly.
The thing that really gets me about this movie is that it's kind of sick. I have nothing against violence in movies (they're a necessity in slasher movies), but by accident (he's too untalented for this to be on purpose) McCormick has tapped into something almost repulsive. It's at times exploitative when it comes to murdered families (including shots of bullet ridden kids), and that makes some scenes uncomfortable. Plus, the film is obvious in its obsessive quest to get a PG-13 rating. Either make an honest R-rated slasher movie, or rewrite the movie so that it should be a PG-13 movie.
I'm not recommending the film (nor the original, which as I've said isn't very good). The performances are wasted in the service of a movie that doesn't have the guts to be what it actually is.
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