Film Review: Stephen
Stephen, an OTT psychological thriller, attempts to explore the mind of a serial killer but ends up making a complete mockery of psychiatry, criminal profiling, and human judgment.
The film follows a female psychiatrist who, along with a male police officer, investigates the case of a man named Stephen. Stephen confesses to murdering several people close to him. During the investigation, he narrates a traumatic childhood—claiming to have grown up in a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic father and an aggressive, abusive mother. This narrative is conveniently accepted by the psychiatrist, who begins to view him as a victim shaped by circumstances rather than as a conscious criminal.
As part of her assessment, the psychiatrist gathers testimonies from Stephen’s school and workplace. Former teachers and colleagues describe him as a quiet, fearful, and socially withdrawn individual. Based on these selective inputs, she concludes that Stephen is mentally imbalanced due to childhood trauma. She presents this opinion in court, recommending leniency. The judge accepts her assessment and sentences Stephen to fourteen years of imprisonment—a decision portrayed as humane and progressive.
However, the film’s final revelation turns everything on its head.
It is revealed that Stephen was never mentally unstable. He was a cold, calculating maniac by choice. His so-called traumatic childhood was entirely fabricated to manipulate the system. In reality, his father was a deeply loving and protective parent—so protective that he even took the blame for installing a hidden camera in a women’s restroom, fully aware that his teenage son had been secretly collecting inappropriate images of female students. This shocking twist exposes how easily professional systems can be deceived when sympathy replaces discernment.
The film also demolishes another popular romantic myth—the idea that “a known devil is better than an unknown one.” Stephen marries his childhood sweetheart, a woman who genuinely loves him. When he eventually confesses his crimes and true nature, she accepts him unconditionally. Ironically, this acceptance does not save her. Instead, Stephen grows paranoid, suspecting that she might report him to the authorities. To eliminate even the slightest risk, he murders her as well.
In doing so, the film shatters the romanticized notions of soulmates, childhood love, and unconditional acceptance. Love, loyalty, and familiarity offer no protection when one is bound to a criminal mind. Destiny, the film suggests bleakly, can sometimes entangle a person with a predator—leaving them to either endure a miserable life or meet a tragic end.
Final Verdict
Stephen is unsettling not just because of its violence, but because of the disturbing messages it leaves behind. While it exposes how manipulation can masquerade as trauma, it also irresponsibly portrays psychiatric evaluation as shallow and easily fooled. The film raises serious ethical questions but offers little faith in professional integrity or human judgment.
In the end, Stephen is less a psychological study and more a cautionary tale—about how charm, victimhood narratives, and misplaced compassion can blind society to pure, deliberate evil.
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