“Stepfather” slashes his way into viewers’ hearts

To all stepfathers out there: Don’t let your family see this movie.

Screen Gems’ “The Stepfather,” a remake of the 1987 cult film of the same name, stars Dylan Walsh as David Harris, a sociopathic killer whose MO is conning his way into a family, only to kill them at the first sign of trouble.

From the opening scene, it’s made clear that David is not the family man he claims to be. As a fugitive from several murders of his previous “families,” he changes his identity and appearance, meeting single mom Susan (Sela Ward) along the way. At first David seems like the perfect man, but that changes all too soon when family and friends start asking questions about his mysterious past.

Walsh (from “Nip/Tuck”)  turns in a good performance as a family man gone wrong, but if you’re expecting an original, groundbreaking film, you won’t find it here. “Stepfather” works as a fun slasher film though, making it worth seeing.