The Stepford Children (1987)
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Villian(s)
Clones
Actor(s):
Barbara Eden, Don Murray, Tammy Lauren, Pat Corley
Brief Description
The Stepford Children is a 1987 American made-for-television science fiction horror thriller that serves as the second sequel to the cult classic 1975 film, The Stepford Wives. Directed by Alan J. Levi and starring Barbara Eden and Don Murray, the plot expands the town's sinister cybernetic conspiracy beyond submissive housewives to include the community's unruly teenagers.
Plot:
The story follows Steven and Laura Harding, who move from New York to the deceptively quiet community of Stepford, Connecticut, alongside Steven's teenage children, David and Mary. Hoping for a fresh start, the family dynamics quickly fracture as Steven becomes obsessed with maintaining a perfect domestic image. Steven joins the town's mysterious local men's club. While the organization is still actively replacing independent wives with compliant android duplicates, they have expanded their operations to target "out of control" or free-spirited teenagers. Rebellious kids who do not fit into Stepford's rigid social structure are covertly scanned and biometric data—such as image, hair, and body metrics—is collected.
Once replaced by their robot duplicates, the teens return as soulless, homework-loving, big band-dancing droids with completely wiped personalities. Laura and the children begin to notice the unsettling, mechanical passivity of the locals. Laura ultimately unearths the grave of Steven's deceased first wife, discovering an immaculate, artificial duplicate rather than a decomposing body. Realizing that Steven plans to subject his own family to the transformation, Laura, David, and Mary must band together to outsmart the town's conspiracy and avoid being permanently replaced.