(1992) TVM **
Young Mikey has a touch of sociopathy. When we first meet him we find him murdering his foster family. He drowns his sister in the pool, tosses a radio into his mother’s bathtub, and clubs his father like a seal with a baseball bat. When the police arrive he blames an intruder and his story is accepted, no questions asked. Fast forward and we find Mikey moving into a new foster family’s home. Mikey is seeking the “perfect” family and when things are less than perfect Mikey gets angry. His new parents seem keen, for now.
If this plot sounds familiar it’s because it’s essentially the plot of the Stepfather movies that were popular at the time. Mikey borrows heavily from better films such as “The Bad Seed” and “The Good Son” for a low-rent version of these familiar themes. Why is Mikey a serial killer? The film never gives an answer although it’s hinted at that he might have been abused in the past. Mikey is a completely forgettable affair with no surprises. The deaths are unimaginative and the acting is piss poor.
