The Stepfather (1987 movie)

The Stepfather is a 1987 psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben. The story revolves around a young girl who realizes that her new Stepfather is actually a serial killer who assumes a new identity after each crime and that her and her mother are his potential next victims.
== Synopsis ==
The film begins with a man washing off blood in a bathroom, packing his bags nonchalantly and leaving behind a butchered family in the house. The man gets on a boat, where he discards a briefcase containing evidence of his old life into the water. One year later, the man is going by the name Jerry Blake, a real estate agent in the suburbs of Seattle, where he has married a widow, Susan Maine. Jerry's relationship with Susan's 16 year old daughter Stephanie is strained, though Stephanie's therapist Dr. Bondurant encourages to give Jerry the opportunity to prove himself. Stephanie, a girl struggling with behavioral issues as school, is extremely mistrustful and suspicious of Jerry.
The brother of Jerry's last wife/victim, Jim Ogilvie, plans to find his wife's killer and begins by running an article about the murder in the paper. During a neighborhood barbeque he is hosting, Jerry discovers the article and is so disturbed he heads into the basement and starts anxiously ranting to himself. Jerry soon discovers that Stephanie has been in the basement with him, witnessing his rant, and tries to allay any worries by claiming he was simply venting. 
When Stephanie reads a newspaper article about a killing, she suspects that the culprit might be Jerry and sends a letter to the paper asking for a picture of the prime suspect. However, Jerry manages to intercept the response letter and changing photo sent, making Stephanie believe she was mistaken. 
Category:Films
Category:Horror Films
Category:Thriller Films
Category:1987
Category:1987 films
Category:Thrillers
Category:1987 Debuts
Category:1980s
Category:Independent Films
Category:Psychological thrillers
Category:1980s Films
Category:The Stepfather
Category:Serial Killer Fiction