The Stepmother (2022 film)

Last updated
The Stepmother
Directed by Chris Stokes
Written byChris Stokes
Marques Houston
Produced by
  • Chris Stokes
  • Marques Houston
  • Juanita Stokes
  • Erica Mena
Starring
CinematographyCharlie Grey
Edited byHarvey White
Music byImmanuel Rich
Production
company
Footage Films
Distributed by Tubi
Release date
  • June 17, 2022 (2022-06-17)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Stepmother is a 2022 American psychological thriller film written by Chris Stokes and Marques Houston and directed by Stokes. The film stars Erica Mena as a woman with dissociative identity disorder, and Marques Houston as a recently widowed single father. It is a gender and race swapped reimagining of the 1987 horror film, The Stepfather . [1]

Contents

The film was released by Tubi on June 17, 2022. [2] A sequel titled The Stepmother 2, premiered on December 23, 2022. [3] [4] [5] The Stepmother 3 was released by Tubi on June 8, 2023. [6]

Cast

Reception

The Stepmother received negative reviews from critics. [7] Niela Orr of The New York Times wrote article titled "Tubi Is Reviving a Lost Joy: Watching Really, Really Bad Movies" criticized production values writing: "The second of three “The Stepmother” films, a Tubi Original directed by Chris Stokes, features a flabbergasting continuity error in which the actor playing a security guard changes multiple times in one scene, despite one actor’s having a short Afro and the other’s wearing braids." [8] Movie Ranker gave it a 2 out of 10 stars writing: "‘The Stepmother’ is completely absent of any visual flourishes or unique identity. The family house looks like one of those fully furnished demo homes, untouched and never lived-in. Beyond that, Stokes does nothing of visual or aesthetic interest, resulting in scenes that look flat, uninspired, and empty of any meaningful color palette. There is no style to speak of here. Every frame of the film is essentially shouting at the audience that it’s been made quickly, cheaply, and without passion." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream queen</span> Actress known for her work in horror films

A scream queen is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. A scream king is the male equivalent. Notable examples include Barbara Steele, Sandra Peabody, Linda Blair, Olivia Hussey, Marilyn Burns, Neve Campbell, Daria Nicolodi, Dee Wallace, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Langenkamp, Shawnee Smith, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Linnea Quigley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivica A. Fox</span> American actress and producer

Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress, producer and television host. Fox began her career on Soul Train (1982–1983), and played roles on the daytime television soap operas Days of Our Lives (1988) and Generations (1989–1991)). In prime time she starred opposite Patti LaBelle in the NBC sitcom Out All Night (1992–1993). Fox's breakthrough came in 1996, with roles in two box-office hit films, Roland Emmerich's Independence Day and F. Gary Gray's Set It Off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marques Houston</span> American singer and actor (born 1981)

Marques Barrett Houston is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, model and actor. A member of the R&B group Immature/IMx from 1990 until 2002, Houston went solo in 2003. As an actor, he is known for his role as Roger Evans in the television comedy Sister, Sister. As an artist, Houston has released one studio album that went platinum in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Stokes (filmmaker)</span> American record executive and filmmaker

Chris Stokes is an American filmmaker and former record executive. He founded the record label the Ultimate Group in 1997, whose roster included B2K, Omarion, Jhené Aiko, Marques Houston, IMx and NLT, among others. He has also directed the 2004 dance drama film You Got Served, as well as the direct-to-TV films House Party 4 (2001) and Somebody Help Me (2007).

Bruce Wayne Smith is an American animator, character designer, film director, film and television producer. He is best known as the creator of Disney Channel's The Proud Family (2001–2005) and Disney+'s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2021–present). Employed by Walt Disney Animation Studios since 1996, Smith has served as the supervising animator for Kerchak and Baboons & Baby Baboon in Tarzan, Pacha in The Emperor's New Groove, Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog and Piglet, Kanga and Roo in Winnie the Pooh. He directed the 1992 animated film Bebe's Kids, which was met with critical and commercial failure.

<i>Joy Ride</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by John Dahl

Joy Ride is a 2001 American neo-noir thriller film directed by John Dahl and written by Clay Tarver and J. J. Abrams. It stars Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, and Leelee Sobieski. It follows three young people on a road trip who talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychopathic killer.

<i>Somebody Help Me</i> (film) 2007 horror television film by Chris Stokes

Somebody Help Me is a 2007 American horror television film starring Marques Houston and Omarion, written and directed by their music producer, Chris Stokes.

William Madison Taylor III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a contestant from MTV's Making the Band 4, where he was chosen by Diddy to be a member and one of the main vocalists of the band Day26 on August 26, 2007.

<i>Home for the Holidays</i> (1972 film) 1972 television slasher film from the United States directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Home for the Holidays is a 1972 American made-for-television slasher film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring Sally Field, Eleanor Parker, Julie Harris, Jessica Walter, and Walter Brennan which premiered on ABC on November 28, 1972. The plot focuses on a wealthy father on his deathbed who invites his four daughters home for Christmas and tells them he suspects his second wife of poisoning him. Shortly after, the girls learn that their stepmother was accused of killing her first husband, and they begin to fall prey to a killer dressed in a yellow rain slicker.

Somebody Help Me 2 is a 2010 horror film starring Marques Houston and Omarion, and is written and directed by their music producer, Chris Stokes. As the sequel, it follows up the events of Somebody Help Me, which was released in 2007. The film also stars Chris Stokes' daughter Chrissy Stokes.

The arthouse action genre is an emerging film genre in contemporary cinema that traces its roots back to Asian and European films. Characteristics of arthouse action films include stylized action, an arthouse atmosphere, metaphysical subtext, psychological characterisation and a disjointed, fragmented narrative with more complexity than the typical action film. These come together to create a sense of "dreamy surrealism."

<i>Battlefield America</i> 2012 American film

Battlefield America is an American dance-drama film by Cinedigm. It was directed by Chris Stokes from You Got Served. The film stars Gary Anthony Sturgis, Tristen M. Carter, Marques Houston, Kida Burns, Zach Balandres, Camren Bicondova, Edward Mandell, and Kyle Brooks. It was released on June 1, 2012 in American theaters.

Tubi is an American over-the-top content platform and ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In January 2021, Tubi reached 33 million monthly active users. As of September 2023, it had 74 million monthly active users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Eggers</span> American film director and screenwriter

Robert Houston Eggers is an American filmmaker and production designer. He is best known for writing and directing the historical horror films The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), as well as directing and co-writing the historical fiction epic film The Northman (2022). His films are noted for their folkloric and mythological elements, as well as his thorough efforts to ensure historical authenticity.

<i>All the Way</i> (2016 film) 2016 television film directed by Jay Roach

All the Way is a 2016 American biographical television drama film based on events during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Directed by Jay Roach and adapted by Robert Schenkkan from his 2012 play All the Way, the film stars Bryan Cranston, who reprises his role as Johnson from the play's 2014 Broadway production, opposite Melissa Leo as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; Anthony Mackie as Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.; and Frank Langella as U.S. Senator Richard Russell Jr. from Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mena Massoud</span> Canadian-Egyptian actor (born 1991)

Mena Mansour Massoud is an Egyptian-Canadian actor. He is known for playing the title character in the Disney fantasy film Aladdin (2019), which earned him nominations for a Teen Choice Award and two National Film & TV Awards.

Sacrifice is an American thriller television series that premiered on BET+ as a pilot movie on December 19, 2019, followed by the official series premiere on November 4, 2021. Creator Chris Stokes announced the renewal for a second season on July 15, 2022.

Running Out of Time is a 2018 action film about a widow named Brenda Harbor who is played by Tasha Smith and is suddenly kidnapped with her family due to the actions of her dilatory husband's former life.

<i>Hunt Club</i> (film) 2023 American film

Hunt Club is a 2023 American action thriller film written by David Lipper and John F. Saunders, directed by Elizabeth Blake-Thomas and starring Mena Suvari, Mickey Rourke and Casper Van Dien.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erica Peeples</span> American actress

Erica Peeples is an American actress and producer.

References

  1. 1 2 "New Tubi Thriller 'The Stepmother' Is A Passionless Reimagining Of A Classic 80's Slasher Flick (Official Review)". MovieRanker.
  2. "The Stepmother | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. June 17, 2022.
  3. Cordero, Rosy (November 1, 2022). "Tubi Orders 'The Stepmother 2' From Marques Houston & Chris Stokes; Erica Mena To Reprise Role".
  4. "Tubi greenlights The Stepmother 2 from Marques Houston and Chris Stokes". BlackFilmandTV.com.
  5. "The Stepmother 2022 Tubi Movie Cast and Plot Review". thefamilynation.com.
  6. "Erica Mena Gets In Her Extra Evil Bag For Tubi Thriller 'The Stepmother 3'". June 6, 2023.
  7. "TUBI ORIGINAL: The Stepmother (2022)". July 2, 2022.
  8. Orr, Niela (February 14, 2024). "Tubi Is Reviving a Lost Joy: Watching Really, Really Bad Movies" via NYTimes.com.