Suspense in 'The Stepfather'

'The Stepfather' is a film that has many moments if suspense. The opening scene begins with a normal daily routine such as grooming - showering, shaving, coffee and toast, putting radio on, taking out contact lenses - and then becomes subverted by the audience asking why certain events take place - dying hair, then the sight of dead bodies. The tense, slow music creates suspense at the beginning of the first scene because although it seems like an everyday routine, the music indicates that there is more to it and there may be something that the audience isn't aware of, then the dead bodies and bloody weapons show that the grooming was a complete change of identity and as the character leaves the house we wonder what is going to happen.

The film also uses the 'Bomb' theory, with the main character of David being the actual "Bomb" in the story line. We know this because as he meets both women in the shops and talks to them at both the beginning and the end, the audience know what his plan is but the characters don't and this creates tension and suspense within the audience as they become curious to know what the outcome of the situation will be.

The film uses many false plauteaux such as when the cat jumps out on the old lady and the audience think that is the danger but really David (the main character and killer) jumps out and attacks the old lady.