Stepfather (2026) – Review | Tubi (2/5)

STEPFATHER on Tubi is not based on the iconic 1987 movie The Stepfather, which was also remade in 2009. It just has the same premise and overall plot. Regardless of idea and origin, this is a movie worth watching for Taye Diggs, but that is it! Overall, this is really not a good movie. Read our full Stepfather (2026) movie review here and find it on Tubi now!

STEPFATHER is a new Tubi original, and while this thriller may have the same plot and (almost!) title as another movie, it is not officially connected to anything. No, this is a very unoriginal original movie from Chris Stokes. If you’ve read some of our previous reviews of his movies, you’ll know he rarely impresses me.

This movie is no exception.

However, it has one thing going for it: Taye Diggs.

And yes, I will be getting back to why this is.

In fact, his performance alone could give this movie a 3 out of 5 rating, making it a passable “Fresh” movie. Unfortunately, for Taye Diggs, there is so much wrong with this movie – and just bad filmmaking – that I have to go down a notch and make this one “Rotten”. I cannot, with good conscience, let this movie stand as something I recommend, because I do not.

Continue reading our 2026 Stepfather movie review below to get an idea of whether this is worth your time. It’s on Tubi now.

You know the plot… even if this isn’t a remake

Stepfather is the story of a desperate – and clearly very sick – man (Taye Diggs) looking for the perfect family to make his life complete. When his new wife and stepdaughters notice that he seems off, it’s already too late.

But hey, not to fear, two police officers who absolutely look like strippers about to start taking their clothes off are on the case. Or, you know, the tragic demise of his previous family. Notice how one of the cops looks about 16 years old (which is acknowledged) and appears to be wearing his daddy’s clothes and always has his hands in his pockets.

You cannot make stuff like this up. It’s even worse than you can imagine.

Then again, this Tubi movie is simply like most others by Chris Stokes: Extremely predictable. And hey, those movies have their own charm. Just like the thousands of Christmas movies released nonstop. We all know the drill. And we also know the ending from the second we press play.

In that sense, this is a guilty pleasure, and I want everyone who enjoys those to indulge and have fun.

Just don’t pretend that this is actually good filmmaking, because it objectively is not. The lighting is abysmal, which is a real shame when your movie relies heavily on having gorgeous actors in front of the camera. Also, the cinematography in the opening scene was downright motion sickness-inducing.

Oh yeah, I know, it’s meant to elicit a feeling of being out of control.

I’m from the country that “invented” the whole dogma of natural lighting and hand-held cameras. I am well aware of both the strengths and weaknesses of this. For Stepfather, the weaknesses were obvious while the strengths must be somewhere on the proverbial cutting room floor… if it was ever caught on film.

Taye Diggs is the Stepfather(s)

I promised I’d get back to why I think Taye Diggs makes this movie worth watching for some viewers. For the record, as a gay woman, Taye Diggs doesn’t win me over with his good looks or his charming smile – though I absolutely acknowledge and appreciate the appeal of both.

Instead, the reason Taye Diggs works so well in this movie is that – unlike almost everyone else in the cast – he knows exactly what his assignment is. Think Gina Gershon in Showgirls. His character and this movie are soap opera theatricals at their finest, and he manages to lean into this.

Now, that is how you approach a production like this.

Taye Diggs knows theater (he began on Broadway and has returned to the theater now as well), and he can play comedy as well as drama or action. For Stepfather, he pulls on all of this. As a result, he delivers exactly the hybrid of theatricals and a somewhat over-the-top villain that this movie needs.

Sadly, nobody else seems to have gotten this note.

Soap Opera antics, but make it serious?

You cannot play a movie like Stepfather straight-faced and expect the audience to buy into the overall plot, because it is terrible. As someone who, as a teenager, spent years watching The Bold and the Beautiful religiously (and still roots for Brooke, despite not having watched for decades now), I know how these productions can get under your skin.

I can appreciate the drama and over-the-top vibe of these productions. The problem is when most of the cast want it to be a “classic” drama or thriller. The plot of Stepfather simply is not made for that.

In fact, when we see Tamar Braxton get slapped and she does a pirouette like a soccer player getting fouled at the World Cup, I thought she was on board, but she doesn’t entirely follow through with her performance overall. For the record, I don’t feel this is on her. It’s the job of the director to get the performance he needs.

Apparently, he wanted this to be a dark thriller. So dark, it would seem, that lighting was reduced to candlelight level in most scenes.

Watch the 2026 Tubi movie Stepfather on Tubi now

As already mentioned several times, Stepfather was directed by Christopher B. Stokes (or just “Chris Stokes”). He has made a lot of Tubi movies, and few of them venture above an IMDb average of 5. I have not enjoyed many of them either, but have rated them everything from 1 to 3. That one 3 out of 5 was its ability to lean into those kitsch elements that are always there.

And yet, I must admit I find myself quoting some of these movies. Even acting out moments from a few. Of course, it’s important to note that it’s never for the right reasons. Instead, it has become a gag and spoof for me, as those moments living rent-free in my mind are all from the worst-rated of his films.

Many (or most, I believe) are written by (or with) Marques Houston, and that includes this one. The same goes for The Stepdaughter (2024) and its sequel, plus the three The Stepmother movies they made together. You know what that means, right? We’ll probably be getting another Stepfather or two.

Not The Stepfather, of course, which would match the other “Step”-movies. That would reveal that all of these are essentially based on the 1987 plot, but simply Stepfather. Never mind that the 1987 movie has a trailer that practically has dialogue used in this 2026 Tubi movie. But hey, if you can claim this is original, then have at it. Just know that we’re all calling BS on it!

You may have no acknowledgement of the 1987 movie, but it’s plain to see that this is the same story. Anyway, like I said, watching Taye Diggs have fun with his role in this movie is a blast. That’s about the only good thing in this Tubi Original.

Stepfather premieres exclusively on Tubi on June 19, 2026.

Details

Director: Chris Stokes
Writers: Marques Houston & Chris Stokes
Starring: Taye Diggs, Tamar Braxton, Kalani Jules, Jessica Jarrell, Janeline Hayes, Dante Brown, Troy Brookins, TJ Shaw, Koda Kalani Beschen, Elizabeth Dantus