Who am I here? Did I copy this quote wrong? Possibly its meaning is part of a cryptic puzzle? Or could it be the ramblings of an unstable mind? By the end of The Stepfather you will understand the implications of this question.

The Stepfather opens with a man showering blood off his body, removing his beard, and leaving a house, that has bodies in the front room and blood all over the place, as Jerry Blake. Jump forward one year to widowed mom Susan (Shelly Hack – Charlie‘s Angels), daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen – Curse II: The Bite), and stepfather Jerry (Terry O’Quinn – Lost) all living together as one big happy family. Except Stephanie isn’t happy with her dad’s death or with Jerry trying to take his place. Her unhappiness affects her school life and, more importantly to Jerry, her home life. He gets her back in school after she’s expelled, gets her a puppy, and in general plays the loving, caring (step) father. But Stephanie refuses to accept him completely and openly rebels when Jerry chases away a boy she likes. As the family doesn’t meet Jerry’s expectations he set out to remedy that by starting a new job and renting another house. And as you might expect things deteriorate quickly after that. Factor in Jim Ogilvy (Stephen Shellen – A River Runs Through It), the brother of one of Jerry’s ex-wives, is searching for justice or revenge. Or both.

The Stepfather is a study of high expectations and mental instability. Jerry, as he’s called now, is looking for the perfect family by marrying widows and divorcees with children. But whenever the flaws of humanity rear its ugly head, he exchanges one family for another, and starts over.

The Special Features are:

– Commentary with Director Joseph Ruben

– The Stepfather Chronicles

– U.S. Theatrical Trailer

I enjoyed this movie for the tension it generates. There is virtually no blood and the violence is minimal, but the suspense is immense and watching Jerry’s insanity unfold is fascinating. I especially liked that a film so simple and unassuming could keep me on the edge of my chair. Who am I here? You may be surprised.

ComicsOnline gives The Stepfather 4 wholesome families out of 5.