The stepmother is, as someone else said, evil personified. But it comes as a shock because during the first 2/3 of the movie she is portrayed in an entirely different light: an abuse survivor who found her calling fighting for abuse victims. Although she is not without flaws, we ultimately think she is a good person; until it's revealed that not only is she a sexual predator, but a narcissist capable of unspeakable evil. A shocking turn in the film that made me literally hate this character. I've known a couple of actual sociopathic narcissists like the lead character in my life, and it's amazing how well they can manipulate people to being on their side, no matter what facts their victims lay out about the abuse inflicted by the narcissist. It's a horrifying dynamic, portrayed all too well in this film. Yes, it's a very entertaining drama thriller, like others that have come out of Scandinavia in recent years especially, but the shock and disgust factor at this character's actions cannot be understated. This one will stay with you.