How Is Suspense Created In The Step Father?

There are many suspense scenes in the film Stepfather. These scenes were created by the bomb theory, false plateau and normality. At the start of the film there is a sense of normality. This is established by the killer acting normal by having a shower, shaving and putting the radio on which is playing silent night. He also made toast and coffee which makes us the viewers think everything is normal.The audience begin to question 'Why?' until dead bodies of a women and two children.

There is a false plateau, when a cat jumps out on the 'crazy cat lady'. we are thought it was the killer but the audience is relieved when we find out when it is the cat so we begin to relax. so when the killer re-appears we are shocked.