The Stepfather

Why Is The Stepfather Rated PG-13?

In this movie about a wicked stepfather, multiple murders are seen and various corpses shown. Victims die violently from being thrown down a flight of stairs, hit with heavy objects, suffocated (characters are heard gasping for breath and one is seen struggling while a plastic bag is pulled over his head) and being held underwater until drowned. Other characters are drugged, beaten, physically injured and threatened with knives and power tools. Characters crash through walls, ceilings and fall from heights. A character is impaled with a shard of glass (blood is depicted). Stabbings, the bloody aftermath of mass slayings and the possibility of a serial killer are discussed. An adult disciplines a child by tightly squeezing his neck. A teenaged girl frequently dresses in provocative bikinis and is seen in her underwear, while her boyfriend usually is dressed in swim trunks or something else that requires him to be shirtless. This adolescent couple often kisses and embraces passionately, and is shown half undressed in bed together (their intentions are interrupted). A sexual relationship between unmarried adults (who also kiss in bed) is assumed, adultery is mentioned and a lesbian relationship is implied. A slang term for sex is used, along with a sexual hand gesture. Frequent mild and moderate profanities are heard and terms of deity are used as expletives. Adults regularly consume alcohol at social gatherings, meals and at a bar. An adult offers a drink to a minor and encourages him to drink.