
The Stepdaughter directed by Chris Stokes is labeled as a thriller mystery, and while it runs for an hour and forty-five minutes it is hard to be blown away by the movie because there just seems to be so much missing. The story seems incomplete as the writers Marques Houston and Chris Stokes add a lot of fillers in an attempt to grab the audience’s attention. But the focus is on the story which is essential in a thriller mystery .
Even with those issues in mind, The Stepdaughter does have some positive points. The writing and acting aren’t dull; Cassidey Fralin as Joanna Lawrence is very able to deliver her lines and brings out many emotional scenes with some key characters.
Having already lost her mother and grandmother, the story continues with Joanna now residing with her father Michael Lawrence, his second wife Whitney Hughes, and her children. But soon all these things will begin to go bad and it will be Joanna coming into the household first. Then there is a whole host of things happening starting with business failure and an emergency. And add to this Joanna and Whitney had a conflict which just seemed to make the family atmosphere more uncomfortable.
With Joanna being difficult to deal with, Michaew tells Whitney to tread carefully and make no response to her behavior. But with the number of such incidents increasing, a lot of questions begin to crop up. Is Joanna the one who wreaked havoc all in the name of revenge due to being tormented in her early childhood? Or is there someone who had her dismissed because she was not supposed to stay with Michael and Whitney? To solve the puzzles and comprehend Joanna’s experience, you will have to see what this movie has to offer on the TUBI app.
The film delivers an effective intention striking drama alongside familiar engagement. The clash between Michael and Joanna, and, the struggle of Whitney herself trying to solve the Joanna problem contributes more to the storyline. The concept of a honey trap while overdone in many stories is at least incorporated well here. The conflict develops gradually and builds to a finale which is a delight for the viewers to watch.
For those who love thrillers, this last statement is unlikely to ever make you rethink about the movie. The screenplay is what I’d expect in a beginner. It is so amateurish that, if you are a fan of the best thrillers directed by the likes of Hitchcock, Fincher, or the Coen Brothers, then ‘The Stepdaughter’ can safely be termed as a ‘kiddies’ movie.
It is no surprise that the movie has such twists and turns as the audience is well-versed in movies like Memories of Murder, Psycho Memento etc. After all, if one is comparing it to classic films like Chinatown or Madeo, one might feel that it’s for the best to leave The Stepdaughter forgotten altogether. To summarise, Chris Stokes has produced a thriller that is unremarkable in any way, quite boring in fact very.
The movie was highly praised as well as criticized based on cassidey fralin’s portrayal of Joanna Lawrence who is the main character’s older sister. There are redeeming features, Joanna embodies her character well, and during anxiety-provoking moments, the audience can see the turmoil boiling within her motivated character, which is commendable. Cut to the film itself and besides her performance, nothing really leaps out. The use of music is also essential in enhancing the screenplay, followed then by the fact that the film’s plot being weak renders the contributions made by music director Rich Immanuel somewhat unproductive and pointless.
Without a doubt, the B-roll footage was excellent and succeeded visually in depicting the setting and breaking the monotony even if slightly exotic furthermore unfortunately focusing on any such one element does not leave an impressive mark on ‘The Stepdaughter’. It is comforting to know that despite its predictable plot and lack of creativity, it is well able to accomplish such a social issue in the film. The film’s central theme is rather interesting as it reminds audiences how childhood is delicate like wax that has just been lit. How childhood is created and protected sells us a society in the future.
As the message is loud and clear, ignoring or abusing children is bad and can result in trouble for society later on. The film makes for a compelling argument, and the filmmakers want the world to take notice of the fact that children need to be taken care of for a brighter tomorrow for all.
Your enjoyment of this film is perhaps predicated on how much you are a fan of the mystery thriller genre. If you have already watched the best-rated mystery thrillers, then this one doesn’t really have anything new to offer. It’s not even a good time for the fans who like thrillers; rather, it would appeal to the fans of TV soap operas more.
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