The Stepfather—Oct. 16, 2009
(Editor: This is part of a recurring series in which we dish on new trailers—then solicit your feedback. Tell us if you'll see the movie below in the comments.)
THE LOOK: This remake of an '80 horror flick starring Terry O'Quinn (which, truthfully, isn't too bad by '80s horror standards) has gotten a reboot, with Dylan Walsh as the pathological patriarch, and a radiant Sela Ward as the doomed single mother. Penn Badgley of Gossip Girl steps in as the suspicious son, which is perfect for him since his day job is all about the strains of a blended family.
THE FEEL: The trailer has the of a generously budgeted Lifetime movie, and you can tell that its final sequence of "exciting" quick cuts all take place within the same 10 minutes of the movie. Still, the titular character is more psychologically fascinating than most suspense/horror baddies, and the plot appears to hew closely to the original film.
GRIPES: Because of the plot structure, this is a trailer that can't help but spill all the beans ahead of time. It's not a tease, it's a full reveal. The only reason to watch the movie is to fill in the fine details and check out Sela Ward. Seriously, she looks great at 53.
