The Stepfather

The Stepfather is a 2009 American psychological thriller film and a remake of the 1987 film of the same name. The film was directed by Nelson McCormick and stars Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard and Jon Tenney. It is loosely based on the crimes of mass murderer John List. It was released on October 16, 2009, receiving negative reviews from critics and grossing $31 million against its $20 million budget. Plot In a suburban Utah house, Grady Edwards transforms himself in a bathroom. He shaves off his beard, dyes his hair, and removes his brown contact lenses. As he leaves the house, the camera reveals the bodies of his wife and her three children. As the police investigate, it is said that another family was murdered in a similar manner in New Jersey not long ago, which causes them to believe there is a serial killer on the loose. Susan Harding, a recently divorced Oregon housewife, is shopping in a grocery store with her youngest children where she meets Grady, who introduces himself as David Harris, and claims that his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. Susan, desperate for love, is charmed by David, and she rushes into an engagement to be married in less than six months. Susan's eldest son, Michael returns home from military school and is immediately suspicious of his mother's fiancé. David invites him down to the basement, where he has installed locked cabinets, and tries successfully to befriend him over tequila shots. However, Michael's suspicions start when David uses the wrong name when mentioning his deceased daughter. After Susan says that Mrs. Cutters warned her that America's Most Wanted ran a profile on a serial killer who looks like David, David sneaks into Mrs. Cutters' house and throws her down her basement stairs, then suffocates her.