The Ugly Stepsister Review: A Dark Twist on Cinderella
Written by: Mary Munoz

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The Ugly Stepsister: Synopsis

There’s an old saying that beauty is pain — and writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt takes that quite literally in her feature-length debut. The Ugly Stepsister (Den Stygge Stesøsteren) reimagines the classic Cinderella fairytale — Askepott in Norwegian — from an entirely different perspective: that of the stepsister whose fate was never to fit the glass slipper.

Elvira (Lea Myren) and her sister Alma (Flo Fagerli) find themselves travelling to the kingdom of Swedlandi, as their mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) embarks on her second marriage to a presumed wealthy landowner. His daughter, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) is the classically beautiful Scandi blonde, with flowing locks and an effortless grace.

But, shortly after the wedding cake is cut, Agnes’s father dies, leaving Rebekka in charge of the estate. With Prince Julian (Evil’s Isac Calmroth) set to throw a ball, Rebekka needs one of her daughter’s to catch the eye of the heir so that her financial troubles will dissipate. And so, she begins a regime of cruelty, all in the name of beauty and love. 

The Ugly Stepsister: Body horror with a bit of comedy

There have already been comparisons to Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance and, whilst perhaps this film doesn’t quite get as gross, it’s not hard to see why. Blichfeldt presents a world in which how you look determines everything. Social status can be achieved through a small waist and even smile.

Women are prized for their meekness; literally paraded like show dogs at the royal ball in front of a crowd of braying gentry. They are expected to be both virgins but sexually experienced; interesting conversationalists but not too intelligent. The hypocrisy goes on and on. 

The Ugly Stepsister: The Cast and Characters

Lea Myren does an outstanding job of making a character who is typically imagined as a giggling villain into someone truly sympathetic. The scene where she gazes at her body in the mirror, visibly repulsed by what she sees, is heartbreaking. The gratuitous close up of her bare backside as she sneaks a cake to eat feels humiliating. Myren does well to balance Elvira’s obvious jealousy of Agnes with her innate desire to be loved (and seen as beautiful). She has also mastered the perfect horror scream. 

Which is useful because, no less than twenty minutes into the film, do we see Elvira’s nose being broken by a literal hammer and chisel by the coke-sniffing Dr Estethique (Adam Lundgren). His dubious procedures look more akin to medieval torture than beauty treatments. Watch the scene where he sews new eyelashes to Elvira’s lower lids if you dare … 

But that is perhaps the point. That beauty standards for women have always been horrific and grossly one-sided. You don’t see a single male character subjected to anything other than praise or sexual favours. Even Prince Julian – who Elvira has pink-tinged fantasies about – is introduced when he is urinating in the woods and exchanging loathsome remarks about women. He is nothing like Elvira’s romantic visions or his hyperbolic book of poetry. More than this, Agnes is shamed for her sexuality and made to live as a servant whilst Rebekka uses hers to gain an advantage. 

Towards the third act, Blichfeldt amps up the horror elements. As Elvira is spun around the ball to In The Hall of the Mountain King, all she sees are maggots and worms everywhere. In a desperate bid to finally be loved, she hacks off her toes with a meat cleaver. There’s also a particularly grim scene involving the removal of a tapeworm. It leaves us with a central character who has been abused, humiliated and broken down at every turn. She has our sympathies entirely – and rightly so. 

The Ugly Stepsister: A classic fairy tale re-told

So often, when classic fairy tales are re-told, you don’t really get anything new from the story. That is absolutely not the case here. We see Cinderella from the perspective of a “side character”, one who is given an entirely new backstory and lease of life. It’s a re-imagining that truly works because it does exactly what it promises – it tells you a new version of events in a very new way. The neon pink titles and the 80’s synth soundtrack also add fresh, contemporary elements to the retelling. The sense of both satire and social commentary are incredibly strong. 

The Ugly Stepsister (Den Stygge Stesøsteren) is a very refreshing take on a classic fairy tale, with modern messaging that will resonate with plenty of viewers. It’s maybe not one for the squeamish, but this is an incredibly promising debut laden with rich and nuanced performances.

The Ugly Stepsister will be In US Cinemas from April 18 and UK Cinemas from April 25 and available to purchase across digital platforms from May 9.

Written by Mary Munoz – part of the Nordic Watchlist content team.