The Stepfather - Joseph Ruben - (1987) DVD

"Scary" Jerry has become the stepfather in a family of a beautiful, young widow and a lovely daughter. Unfortunately, Jerry has a very strict definition of the perfect family and his new family just may not be making the cut. When his family starts disappointing him, he's is willing to kill for the American Dream.

I speak enthusiastically about a lot of films. I am able to find enjoyment from a wide variety of movies, styles and approaches. However, I LOVE this film. I always have and I was utterly shocked to learn it wasn't available on DVD. I went on a personal crusade to find it, and I did so in record time.

This is one of the best thrillers to emerge from the 1980's. It's got assured direction from Joseph Reuben. An excellent script by Donald E. Westlake. And an absolutely mesmerizing performance from Lost's Terry O'Quinn, who invests his character with enough repressed fury to make most screen psychos look like Mr. Rogers.

The film starts out with a real sense of style as O'Quinn washes his bloody hands in a bathroom sink then proceeds to alter his appearance drastically before walking downstairs to his murdered family; its a startling and creepy beginning and the rest of the film is as stylish and well done. I think its biggest strength is the well-developed psychopathology of Terry O'Quinn's character; his behavior actually makes sense in terms of his madness; this is a refreshing change of pace from most films of this type, where the killers have zero motivation and are just plot-devices.

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