"The Stepfather" Soundtrack Lyrics

“The Stepfather — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2009)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What kind of horror film scores smiling suburbia like a mixtape you’d hear in a mall — then lets the dread ooze in from the edges? The Stepfather does exactly that. Its song album plays approachable alt/indie and radio rock while Charlie Clouser’s cool-blooded score needles under the drywall. The contrast is the point: pleasant surfaces, lethal intent.

The selections lean hooky — MUTEMATH, Hoobastank, Filter — which makes the shocks feel ruder when they arrive. It isn’t a wall-to-wall needle-drop machine; songs sketch normalcy (pool chatter, errands, housewarmings), while the synth-tension takes over for stalk-and-slash beats. That push-pull — jukebox gloss vs. electronic menace — mirrors the stepfather’s charming façade and the truth beneath.

Style map in phases: alt-rock/indie sheen — “everything’s fine” denial; post-industrial/electro score — suspicion and surveillance; darker alt cuts — rot blooming in the corners. The soundtrack’s polite smile curdles — and that’s the sinister fun.

How It Was Made

Composer Charlie Clouser (of Saw fame) supplies the tense, modern score. Sony/Screen Gems’ music team paired it with a various-artists album released by Lakeshore Records to give the film a familiar-radio texture between scares. Music supervision was handled by Michael Friedman (with Screen Gems’ Spring Aspers as executive in charge of music), wrangling clearances for catalog cuts and contemporary alt tracks that sit believably in kitchens, cars, and backyard parties.

Tracks & Scenes

Key placements and how they play on screen. Times are approximate to the 101-minute theatrical cut; cues are tagged diegetic (in-world) or non-diegetic.

“The Funeral” (Band of Horses)

Where it plays:

Poolside sequence as Michael and Kelly talk, early-mid film. Breezy backyard mood, then unease creeps in as David’s control issues show. Mostly diegetic-feeling source.

Why it matters:

Iconic chiming melancholy that underlines the film’s thesis — grief and denial in daylight.

“The Undertaker (Vagina Mix)” (Puscifer)

Where it plays:

End credits — first roll cue after the final sting. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Dark pulse and sardonic tone: a curtain call that winks at the killer’s unfinished business.

“Happy Together” (Filter)

Where it plays:

Credits continuation after the first song — a harsher, ironic take on a “perfect family” sentiment. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Weaponized nostalgia. The lyric flips from sweet to sinister in this context.

“Typical” (MUTEMATH)

Where it plays:

Featured in the film and included as the album opener; used in early domestic/establishing stretch. Source texture bridging “normal life” beats.

Why it matters:

Shiny, propulsive alt-rock that sells the façade of routine before suspicion blooms.

“Say the Same” (Hoobastank)

Where it plays:

Heard in the first half as background source (home / car radio).

Why it matters:

Relationship-sized lyrics that echo the film’s theme: repeating lines, repeating lies.

“Given” (Seether)

Where it plays:

Late-act source bed during a transitional montage before the final confrontations.

Why it matters:

Harder edges creep in — a musical tell that the mask won’t hold.

Also heard (source cues across parties, errands, and transitions)

• “The Air I Breathe” (Sleep Detectives)
• “Safeway” (Feersum Ennjin)
• “Eternal Summer” (Red Means Go)
• “Never Less Than Perfect” (Blutronia)
• “Melee” (Drew Smith)
• “Platinum Camelot” (Lightning Swords of Death)

Notes & Trivia

• Clouser’s credit is music by; the commercial album is a various artists companion rather than a score release.
• Lakeshore issued the album the same week as the U.S. theatrical release; the catalog ID is LKS 34109.
• “Typical” by MUTEMATH — a prior alt-radio hit — is spotlighted on the album and appears in-film.
• Two different songs roll in the end credits: Puscifer’s “The Undertaker” then Filter’s “Happy Together.”

Reception & Quotes

Reviews were mixed on the remake itself, but several noted the effective, contemporary music package — polished source cuts offsetting Clouser’s tension.

“Music: Charlie Clouser; music supervisor: Michael Friedman.” Variety credit line

“Surprisingly excellent soundtrack.” Viewer capsule, IMDb

Availability: The Stepfather (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — 13 tracks, Lakeshore Records, released mid-October 2009. Select tracks also stream on major platforms; regional variants exist.

Interesting Facts

• Facade vs. function: Radio-friendly songs sell normalcy; the score is the lie detector.
• Alt-rock time capsule: MUTEMATH, Hoobastank, Seether — a snapshot of late-2000s radio rock in a studio thriller.
• Poolside irony: “The Funeral” as sunshine chatter plays — the lyric’s dread does the heavy lifting.
• End-credits double hit: Two distinct closers keep audiences seated through the card crawl.
• Lakeshore lineage: The label’s horror/thriller streak (from indie chillers to studio remakes) continued here.

Technical Info

• Title: The Stepfather — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Year: 2009 (album street date mid-October 2009)
• Type: Film soundtrack (various artists companion; score by Charlie Clouser)
• Composer: Charlie Clouser (original score)
• Music supervision: Michael Friedman; Executive in charge of music: Spring Aspers
• Label / Catalog: Lakeshore Records — LKS 34109 (CD/digital)
• Selected notable placements: “The Funeral” (Band of Horses) — pool scene; “The Undertaker (Vagina Mix)” (Puscifer) — first end-credits; “Happy Together” (Filter) — later credits
• Film basics: Director Nelson McCormick; Screen Gems (Sony) release; U.S. theatrical date October 16, 2009

Questions & Answers

Is there a separate score album?

No official standalone score release surfaced; the commercial album is a various-artists set. Clouser’s cues live in the film.

Who supervised the music?

Michael Friedman is credited as music supervisor (with Spring Aspers overseeing music for Screen Gems).

Which song plays over the end credits?

Puscifer’s “The Undertaker (Vagina Mix)” starts the roll; Filter’s “Happy Together” follows later in the credits.

What label released the album?

Lakeshore Records, catalog LKS 34109, issued October 2009.

Does “Typical” by MUTEMATH appear in the movie or just on the album?

It’s in the film and anchors the album’s opening slot.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia (film & credits); Variety review credits; IMDb (full credits & soundtrack list); Lakeshore Records/Apple Music listing; MovieMusic store listing; Discogs release page; MoviesOST song-use notes; WhatSong title list; YouTube trailers.

November, 29th 2025