Father Kills Best: Revisiting ‘Stepfather II’ 35 Years Later

If just its box office numbers had been considered, then The Stepfather would have remained a standalone movie. However, the 1987 cult flick ultimately found an audience after tanking in theaters; it went on to become a major success on both video and television. So the production company behind the original movie, ITC, went ahead with putting cinema’s deadliest daddy back on the big screen. The pressing question at the time though, was whether or not Terry O’Quinn would return. And if he did, how would his character even come back?

John Auerbach, whose sole screenwriting credit is Stepfather II, was put in charge of bringing the fatal father figure back from the dead. Like anyone else in his position, Auerbach assumed he would be penning a prequel, on account of the fact that O’Quinn’s character was killed at the end of the first movie. On the contrary, this new story was a direct continuation. One where Jerry Blake not only survived his gruesome finish, but he also found himself another vulnerable and fatherless family to prey on.

Horror sequels are decried by default, yet there was more vocal disapproval than usual when Stepfather II — subtitled Make Room for Daddy — was first announced. The original movie, in spite of its lack of immediate success, was critically approved; O’Quinn was especially praised for his performance. A main concern, regarding the sequel, was doing away with Jerry’s sense of mystery. Being so puzzling was why he intrigued as well as intimidated audiences.

Stepfather II has its fanbase, albeit a far smaller one than that of the first movie, but those who do enjoy this second installment may be thankful that Auerbach and director Jeff Burr (The Offspring, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) kept the story relatively grounded. Despite the title character escaping what looked to be an unequivocal death, he did not reappear through supernatural means. In hindsight it might have been more believable to pull a Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers, what with this being a cash-in sequel from the ‘80s. Instead, the real strangeness was saved for the third entry in the franchise; to allow for a new actor to take over for O’Quinn, Stepfather III received a whole new face à la plastic surgery.

Once the first sequel gets its absurd setup out of the way — at a psychiatric hospital, Jerry played the long game and won — O’Quinn’s character resumes business. As opposed to hightailing it out of the country, Jerry does what any movie madman in his state of mind might do; he repeats his insane actions in the hopes that the outcome will somehow be different. This second outing has the serial killer going about things the same as before, more or less, although his pursuit for what he deems old-fashioned values are challenged in new and uncharted territory.

Now borrowing the name of a recently deceased man named Gene Clifford, Jerry’s latest persona is inspired by the therapist he offed earlier. The family killer also trades Seattle for a suburb of Los Angeles. To be more specific, a seemingly quaint planned community called Palm Meadow Estates. Yet as “Dr. Clifford” gets to know his realtor-turned-fiancée Carol (Meg Foster, They Live), her teenage son (Jonathan Brandis), and their colorful neighbors, he soon realizes this is anything but a wholesome place. At least not in the eyes of someone as old-fashioned as O’Quinn’s character. From fellatio humor to premarital sex to machismo checks, this quack has a hard time adjusting. And, of course, that clash of personal values only leads to another violent standoff.

John List, a man who murdered his family in 1971 before then disappearing, was a real-life inspiration for The Stepfather. These first two movies are also, without a doubt, satirical commentary on American society since Ronald Reagan took office. Gene is a Reaganist caricature; he does everything and anything to preserve so-called family values. The sequel shows Gene compromising his principles to keep up the illusion — sleeping with Carol before marriage — in addition to his standard bursts of brutality. And when Carol’s best friend Matty (Caroline Williams, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), a single, childless and assertive woman, stands in the way of Gene’s happiness, he naturally removes her along with Carol’s philandering ex-husband (Mitchell Laurance).

The word “unnecessary” is thrown around when talking about Stepfather II. Does this sequel rehash its predecessor? Yes, indeed, but Jerry/Gene is a man ruled by patterns. To break from them would actually be some kind of progress. This second movie, however, slowly and slightly peels back the layers of its villain, a man who has no single identity anymore. As director Burr demonstrated with a manifestation of that inner disarray, one where O’Quinn is gazing upon his multiple reflections, this series’ namesake is like a walking funhouse of mirrors. There is no telling what is real anymore as this man looks back at himself. And Auerbach’s script, flaws and all, taps into the main character’s complexity from time to time. To help make the central character study even more noticeable, the movie uses the backdrop of less simplistic, not quite so sterile, and trend-chasing SoCal to bring out these alien responses in Gene.

Variety said this movie “reduces the intriguing premise of the original Stepfather to the level of an inconsequential, tongue-in-cheek slasher film.” As a counterargument, the sequel definitely reiterates the same story as before, only now using the familiar to emphasize the sadness intrinsic to O’Quinn’s role. To imagine someone so trapped in their own futile pursuit of perfection is depressing. Especially when the ending is known from the start. Jerry, Gene, or whatever he wants to be called, is at his most pathetic here. To capture that wretchedness is, perhaps, unwarranted, however, as contemporary culture confirms with its enthusiasm for true crime, there is a nagging desire to understand human anomalies like The Stepfather.

In a bid to attract a bigger audience turnout than before, the studio aimed for a less psychological horror movie with Stepfather II. Reshoots at the request of the higher-ups were done without Burr or O’Quinn’s involvement, thus leading to some poorly shot inserts of blood and violence that drag this entry down into the schlock pit. Knowing this and the new direction of the series, O’Quinn elevated the ill-received and oft low-grade sequel with another substantial performance. That alone should warrant a watch. And in all frankness, the movie is not even remotely close to being the black sheep of the Stepfather family.

Stepfather II is now streaming on SCREAMBOX.

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