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Getting off to an unforgettably bloodcurdling start with a mysterious murderous madman (a beautifully nuanced and persuasive performance by terrific character actor Terry O'Quinn in his breakthrough role) calmly cleaning himself off and walking down the street nonchalantly whistling "Camptown Races" to himself after leaving a house with the mangled bodies of two people he just brutally butchered inside of it, this exceptionally scary, believable and riveting suspense thriller never loosens its grip on the viewer or takes a single false step. You see, our mystery madman is a cunning, devious and above all deadly chameleon who readily changes his identity with alarming regularity in his obsessive and impossible quest to have the ideal American family. His latest marks are a love-blinded denialist woman (nicely played by Shelley Hack) and her smart, astute and rebellious teenage daughter (a hugely sympathetic turn by the very pretty and appealing Jill Schoelen).
Director Joseph Ruben, working from a wickedly clever and incisive script by acclaimed crime novelist Donald Westlake, further aided by Patrick Moraz's spooky, stirring score, John Lindley's slick, handsome cinematography, and a deliciously dark streak of pitch-black humor, expertly stokes the tension to a nerve-rattling extreme while maintaining a steady pace and effectively creating a mundane atmosphere of frightening credibility. What makes this movie so special and remarkable is how it deftly explores varying degrees of psychosis: the mother has difficulty dealing with the grim truth, the daughter has a tendency to get into trouble at school, and of course our mystery maniac is the worst offender of all, a crazed perfectionist who will literally kill in order to have what he wants. In an especially nice touch, even a young man (excellently essayed with jolting intensity by Stephen Shellen) determined to avenge his sister's death at the maniac's hands comes across as a rather dubious and none too likable would-be "hero," thereby blurring the fine line between good and evil. Moreover, "The Stepfather" also trenchantly addresses the false sense of security and serenity people tend to erroneously ascribe to suburbia, the danger of accepting others on a strictly superficial level (Hack desperately wants to believe that O'Quinn is the pleasant, mild-mannered man he appears to be), the undeniable fact that all human beings whether they are good or bad are intrinsically flawed by nature, and, most boldly of all, the grossly impractical and unrealistic standards that are constantly perpetuated by traditional conservative family values. Intelligent, insightful and overall thoroughly absorbing, "The Stepfather" stands tall as one of the best horror slasher thriller gems made in the 80's.
score 10/10
Woodyanders 26 July 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1430647/ |
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19-3-2021 12:05:06