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Michael Harding (Penn Badgely) returns home from military school to find his mother Susan (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend David (Dylan Walsh). As the two men get to know each other, he becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand.

Director:

Nelson McCormick

Writers:

J.S. Cardone (screenplay), Donald E. Westlake (earlier screenplay) | 3 more credits »
Reviews
Popularity
887 ( 915)
2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dylan Walsh ... David Harris
Sela Ward ... Susan Harding
Penn Badgley ... Michael Harding
Amber Heard ... Kelly Porter
Sherry Stringfield ... Leah
Paige Turco ... Jackie Kerns
Jon Tenney ... Jay
Nancy Linehan Charles ... Mrs. Cutter
Marcuis Harris ... Detective Shay
Braeden Lemasters ... Sean Harding
Deirdre Lovejoy ... Detective Tylar
Skyler Samuels ... Beth Harding
Blue Deckert ... Captain Mackie
Jason Wiles ... Dylan Bennet
Kara Ortiz ... Real Estate Assistant (as Kara Briola)
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Storyline

Michael Harding (Penn Badgely) returns home from military school to find his mother Susan (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh). As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really the man of her dreams or could David be hiding a dark side?

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

This fall Daddy's home. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, mature thematic material and brief sensuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Dylan Walsh and Jessalyn Gilsig also worked on Nip/Tuck (2003) together. See more »

Goofs

In the beginning David Harris cuts himself and places a tissue on the left side of his chin. As he leaves the bathroom and turns around for the camera shot, the tissue is on the right side of his chin. This is because the image is a mirror shot, so it appears that the tissue is on the wrong side. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Leah: One female in her late 30s, three minors. Multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.
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Alternate Versions

Unrated version was released on Region 1 DVD and Region A Blu-ray. See more »

Connections

References Psycho (1960) See more »

Soundtracks

The Funeral
Written by Ben Bridwell (as Benjamin Bridwell), Christopher David Early and Timothy Ian Meinig
Performed by Band of Horses
Courtesy of Sub Pop Records
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User Reviews

 
Once again the trailer was better than the film
19 October 2009 | by cinevidSee all my reviews

Though a lot of the elements were typical and expected in this movie, it still held interest and had a few good 'gotcha' moments. However, as it neared the end, it seemed that the editor just hacked together an ending to shorten the movie down because it was in danger of actually being two hours long. In fact, one of the coolest terror scenes in the trailer was when the circular saw falls from the attic and dangles over the girlfriend, (like Vincent Price's Pit and the Pendulum) but guess what? It's NOT in the movie. I was ticked off. Now, I know some scenes are in a trailer and don't make it to the final cut, but come on! It's the last shots in the trailer and the most terrifyingly memorable! It's false advertising at it's worst! Oh well, hopefully it will be in the DVD release, making that a good reason to skip seeing it in the theaters.

Sadly the popularity of this film hinges on the reality that way too many men marry into a family and think they can have everything go their way without regard for how the children have been raised before they came along. Kids love to push boundaries and rarely ever accept the 'new dad' as anything more than an ATM, so the guy let's his frustration build to the point where he explodes on them, losing all credibility and respect. Obviously they don't all become psycho killers, but the abuses run rampant in today's society, so it's no surprise why so many teens are eager to see this film.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Release Date:

16 October 2009 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Stepfather 4 See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,581,586, 18 October 2009

Gross USA:

$29,062,561

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,198,531
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

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