4K UHD Review – The Stepfather (1987)

Scripted by Donald E. Westlake, 1987's "The Stepfather" has a classic set-up for suspense, analyzing the ways of a serial killer as he tries to balance delusion with bloodlust while playing the part of a perfect dad. Based on a real case of domestic horror, the feature elects to go more of a Hollywood route, playing into the trends of the decade as slasher business and exploitation bits compete for screen time with a competent psychological chiller. "The Stepfather" has the benefit of being more concerned with human elements than the usual B-movie, helped along by some terrific performances and a sharp sense of escalation from Westlake, who gives director Joseph Ruben (who would go on to refine his genre work on 1991's "Sleeping with the Enemy") plenty of madness to handle as a seemingly idyllic domestic experience worsens for a deranged individual. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com