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{{Short description|2025 Tamil film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2026}}

{{Infobox film
| image = Stephen poster.jpg
| caption = Promotional release poster
| director = Mithun Balaji
| writer = {{ubl
|Mithun Balaji
|[[Gomathi Shankar]]
}}
| producer = {{ubl
|Jayakumar
|Mohan
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*[[Gomathi Shankar]]
*[[Michael Thangadurai]]
*[[Smruthi Venkat]]
}}
| studio = JM Production House
| distributor = [[Netflix]]
| released = {{Film date|2025|12|5|df=yes}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Stephen''''' is a 2025 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[psychological thriller film]] directed by Mithun Balaji in his directorial debut<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-26 |title=Stephen trailer: A shocking confession of 9 murders sets a cop and psychiatrist on a dark chase |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Nov/26/stephen-trailer-a-shocking-confession-of-9-murders-sets-a-cop-and-psychiatrist-on-a-dark-chase |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref> and produced by Jayakumar and Mohan produce the film under the JM Production House banner. The film stars [[Gomathi Shankar]] in the titular role alongside [[Michael Thangadurai]] and [[Smruthi Venkat]] in pivotal roles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-24 |title=Stephen Teaser: A murder unfolds in front of a camera in this film |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Nov/24/stephen-teaser-a-murder-unfolds-in-front-of-a-camera-in-this-film |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref> The film marks the debut of [[Gomathi Shankar]] in the lead role, who had earlier appeared in supporting roles in films such as [[Dharala Prabhu|''Dharala Prabhu'']] (2020), [[Gargi (film)|''Gargi'']] (2022), and [[Lover (2024 film)|''Lover'']] (2024). Apart from acting, Shankar has also contributed as a writer along with Mithun.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-20 |title=Netflix's Tamil psychological thriller Stephen gets a premiere date |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Nov/20/netflixs-tamil-psychological-thriller-stephen-gets-a-premiere-date |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref>

''Stephen'' was premiered on [[Netflix]] on 5 December 2025.

== Plot ==
Stephen calmly walks into a police station and confesses to killing nine women, baffling authorities. Police Inspector Michael and psychiatrist Seema investigate, exploring Stephen's past and the motivations behind his crimes, initially suspecting childhood trauma. The film explores Stephen's disturbed mind, revealing a cunning personality who uses acting auditions as a lure, but his true goals are deeper. The climax reveals Stephen's confession and surrender were part of a master plan to manipulate the justice system and achieve freedom, using a fabricated narrative of abuse to escape a harsher sentence. The story delves into guilt, trauma, fractured identity, and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, keeping the audience guessing until the end.
== Cast ==

* [[Gomathi Shankar]] as Stephen Jebaraj
* [[Michael Thangadurai]] as Michael
* [[Smruthi Venkat]] as Seema
* Kuberan as Stephen's father
* Vijayashree as Stephen's mother
* Shrisha as Krithika
* Erumasaani Harija as Mary John
* Amar Ramesh as Raju

== Release ==
''Stephen'' was premiered on ''[[Netflix]]'' on 5 December 2025 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=B |first=Jayabhuvaneshwari |title=South Cinema's top OTT releases this week: Stephen, The Girlfriend and more |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/ampstories/webstories/2025/Dec/04/south-cinemas-top-ott-releases-this-week-stephen-the-girlfriend-and-more |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Reception ==
Jayabhuvaneshwari B of ''[[Cinema Express]]'' gave 3/5 stars and wrote "A twist-filled whydunit that delves into the mental anatomy of a killer, powered by strong performances and a sharp psychological payoff."<ref>{{Cite web |last=B |first=Jayabhuvaneshwari |date=2025-12-05 |title=Stephen Movie Review: A layered and rewarding exploration of the killer's psyche |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2025/Dec/05/stephen-movie-review-a-layered-and-rewarding-exploration-of-the-killers-psyche |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref> Shubhra Gupta of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "What rescues Stephen, and brings it back to its initial sharpness, is the last act with all its revelatory strands. Smartly shot and enacted, the portion is chilling, just the way it ought to be in a film like this."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-05 |title=Stephen movie review: Gomathi Shankar shines in chilling, uneven thriller |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/stephen-movie-review-gomathi-shankar-shines-in-chilling-uneven-thriller-10403898/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Janani K of ''[[India Today]]'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Director Mithun Balaji shows promise in his ability to build atmosphere and maintain tension. [...] However, the film's fatal flaw lies in its overambitious climax. In trying to deliver one twist too many, it undermines the careful character study it had been building."<ref>{{Cite web |last=K |first=Janani |date=2025-12-05 |title=Stephen movie review: A psychological thriller that spins out of control |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/stephen-movie-review-psychological-thriller-serial-killer-mithun-balaji-2830709-2025-12-05 |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Anusha Sundar of ''[[OTT Play]]'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Stephen is an engaging psycho thriller which honestly wants to stir away from the cliches of the genre. [...] But it isn’t flawless either. The film, while escaping the cliches of serial killer genre, becomes a victim when it goes fat-stretched to be unique. Still a decent attempt."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stephen review: Gripping serial-killer drama that intrigues more than it falters |url=https://www.ottplay.com/review/stephen-movie-review-an-unsettling-and-gripping-serial-killer-drama-that-intrigues-more-than-it-falters/b2643c407e840 |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=OTTPlay |language=en}}</ref>

Bhuvanesh Chandar of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote "A fantastic subversion in the final act flips what seemed like a juvenile psycho-thriller into a genre-redefining effort, but it is a tough bargain to ask audiences to wade through murk to reach the payoff."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chandar |first=Bhuvanesh |date=2025-12-05 |title=‘Stephen’ movie review: An inventive climax reinvents the serial-killer archetype in this middling film |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/stephen-movie-review-an-inventive-climax-reinvents-the-serial-killer-archetype-in-this-middling-film/article70352461.ece |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb title|tt38681567}}
[[Category:2025 films]]
[[Category:2025 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2025 Indian films]]
[[Category:2025 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Indian psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian serial killer films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language psychological thriller films]]

Stephen (film) - Revision history

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