New Movies: The Ugly Stepsister (2025) by Emilie Blichfeldt
- dailyentertainment95
- May 9
- 10 min read
The Ugly Stepsister (2025) by Emilie Blichfeldt: A Grim and Gruesome Fairytale
Emilie Blichfeldt's feature directorial debut, The Ugly Stepsister (original title: Den stygge stesøsteren), is a dark, satirical, and often grotesque reimagining of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. The film subverts expectations by focusing on the titular "ugly" stepsister, Elvira, and delves into the brutal lengths women are driven to in a kingdom obsessed with beauty and status.
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29344903/
Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-ugly-stepsister (US), https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/the-ugly-stepsister (Australia), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/the-ugly-stepsister (Canada), https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/the-ugly-stepsister (UK)
Detailed Summary
The Ugly Stepsister follows Elvira (Lea Mathilde Skar-Myren), the elder daughter of Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp). Rebekka, recently married to a wealthy nobleman in hopes of securing privilege, finds her plans shattered when her new husband dies on their wedding night, leaving the family penniless. Desperate to regain social standing and worried about her own aging, Rebekka decides to marry off one of her daughters to Prince Julian. She chooses Elvira, despite her being conventionally perceived as "ugly," as her younger sister Alma has not yet reached puberty.
Elvira, initially a romantic dreamer obsessed with Prince Julian, is subjected to increasingly barbaric and primitive "beauty treatments" by her mother, including crude plastic surgeries (like a medieval rhinoplasty and eyelashes sewn into eyelids) and even swallowing a tapeworm for weight loss. During finishing lessons, Elvira's initial admiration for her stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), the nobleman's beautiful daughter, turns to bitter jealousy as she witnesses Agnes's effortless beauty. When Elvira discovers Agnes having a sexual encounter with a stable man, she tells Rebekka, who promptly demotes Agnes to a servant, mockingly calling her "Cinderella."
As the royal ball approaches, Elvira's health deteriorates due to the tapeworm and the painful procedures. She destroys a ball gown intended for Agnes. At the ball, Elvira manages to attract Prince Julian's attention, but he is soon captivated by a veiled woman she later realizes is Agnes. In a truly disturbing sequence, after the ball, Elvira discovers Agnes has left behind a slipper. Driven by desperation and her mother's unwavering ambition, Elvira forces Agnes to give her the other shoe. Finding her feet too large, Elvira begins to mutilate her own toes to fit, a gruesome act discovered by her horrified younger sister, Alma, and calmly completed by Rebekka. The film culminates in Elvira's defeat and a powerful choice made by the sisters to break free from their mother's destructive influence.
Plot Summary
The narrative of The Ugly Stepsister charts Elvira's increasingly desperate and self-destructive quest for beauty and status. After her step-father's death leaves her family impoverished, Elvira is groomed by her ambitious mother to marry Prince Julian, despite not being conventionally attractive. The film details the brutal, body-horror-laden procedures she undergoes and the growing animosity towards her naturally beautiful stepsister, Agnes, whom her mother cruelly transforms into a servant. The climax involves a twisted version of the ball and the infamous slipper, leading to Elvira's horrifying self-mutilation in a bid to win the prince, ultimately culminating in a defiant act of liberation by the sisters.
Director's Vision
Emilie Blichfeldt's directorial vision for The Ugly Stepsister is deeply rooted in her own experiences with body image and a desire to provoke both empathy and discomfort. She aims to deliver a "beauty horror twist on Cinderella," inspired by the darker versions of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Blichfeldt uses explicit body horror and grotesque imagery as a catalyst to explore the societal pressures on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and the violence inherent in these demands. Her film is a feminist critique, dismantling outdated notions of beauty and romance by replacing them with "blood, rot, and vomit." Blichfeldt consciously crafts an "uncanny enchanted realism" by blending the visual aesthetic of 1960s-70s Eastern European fairytale cinema with a historical period setting (late 1800s), making the film feel timeless yet uncomfortably real.
Themes
The Horrors of Beauty Standards: The central theme explores the extreme, often violent, and self-destructive lengths individuals are pushed to in pursuit of perceived beauty and societal acceptance, highlighting the physical and psychological toll.
Societal Expectations and Patriarchal Oppression: The film critiques historical and ongoing patriarchal systems that define women's value primarily by their appearance and their ability to secure wealthy husbands, leading to desperation and conformity.
Body Horror as Social Commentary: Blichfeldt uses explicit body horror to visually represent the internal and external violence inflicted by oppressive beauty ideals, making the psychological torment physically manifest.
Subversion of Fairy Tales: The film offers a radical feminist reinterpretation of the Cinderella myth, challenging traditional narratives of beauty, innocence, and happily-ever-afters by focusing on the "villain's" perspective and deconstructing the myth.
Desperation and Class Mobility: The family's sudden impoverishment fuels Rebekka's ruthless ambition to secure wealth through marriage, exposing the desperation and harsh realities of class struggles and the limited avenues for female advancement in the period.
Key Success Factors
Unique and Subversive Concept: The film's daring and gruesome reinterpretation of a beloved fairy tale from the perspective of the "ugly stepsister" is highly original and immediately grabs attention.
Unflinching Body Horror: Its willingness to depict graphic and disturbing scenes of self-mutilation and crude surgeries makes it unforgettable and drives home its central themes with visceral impact.
Strong Feminist Message: The film's sharp critique of societal beauty standards and patriarchal pressures resonates powerfully, positioning it as a relevant and thought-provoking piece of social commentary.
Festival Buzz and Controversy: Its premiere at Sundance and subsequent screenings at other festivals generated significant buzz, partly due to strong reactions to its gore (including reports of audience members vomiting), drawing attention to its bold approach.
Compelling Performances: Lea Myren's portrayal of Elvira is crucial to the film's success, earning praise for her ability to convey the character's gradual descent into desperation and madness.
Summary Short
The Ugly Stepsister is Emilie Blichfeldt's body-horror-infused feminist twist on Cinderella, focusing on Elvira, the "ugly" stepsister, who undergoes gruesome procedures to win a prince in a kingdom obsessed with beauty, leading to a shocking critique of societal pressures and a brutal fight for liberation.
Awards and Nominations
The Ugly Stepsister premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025, as part of its Midnight section. It was also an official selection at the Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama section on February 16, 2025), Monsters of Film (Stockholm, March 23, 2025), Night Visions Film Festival (Finland, April 3, 2025), and the Overlook Film Festival. Specific major award wins beyond festival selections were not detailed in the provided search results.
Critics Reception
Critical reception for The Ugly Stepsister has been largely positive, with particular emphasis on its bold vision, gruesome imagery, and strong social commentary.
Screen Rant: Praised it as a "subversive body horror" that "deftly explores the excruciating horror of beauty." It highlighted the film's ability to dissect beauty as performance and status, making Elvira a deeply sympathetic character despite her actions. The review noted its genuinely gross and excruciating scenes like toe-chopping.
Screen Daily: Described the film as a "wry comedy and body-horror commentary" that "gets bloody and bold," acknowledging its graphic violence and gore while still being a "sterling simulation" of a fairytale realm.
Roger Ebert: In an interview, Emilie Blichfeldt discussed creating an "uncanny enchanted realism" and how the film illustrates the "violence and self-hatred that stems from Elvira's belief that she has to be this idealized version of herself." The review noted the film's ability to tackle a "much bigger theme that we as a society must tackle together."
IGN: Called it "Grimm and Grimmer," a "body-horror fantasy" that depicts "crude and agonizing cosmetic-surgery procedures" that are historically accurate. It noted the film's point of view is specific to its teenage protagonist, limiting its emotional range but making its anger towards beauty standards compelling.
The Blogging Banshee: Hailed it as a "grotesque, feminist work of body horror, as dreamy as it is horrifying," calling Blichfeldt's feature debut "fascinating" and "brilliant" in its presentation of themes.
Overall Summary of Critics Reception: Critics overwhelmingly laud The Ugly Stepsister for its daring and visceral approach to the Cinderella story. Its effective use of body horror to critique unrealistic beauty standards and patriarchal pressures has been widely praised, often described as unflinching, thought-provoking, and darkly comedic. While its extreme gore might not be for all audiences, its unique vision and strong social commentary have earned it significant critical attention and established Emilie Blichfeldt as a bold new voice in filmmaking.
Reviews
Reviews generally confirm the critical sentiment, emphasizing the film's shocking imagery and its success in provoking strong reactions from viewers. Many express a mixture of discomfort and admiration for its message and the sheer audacity of its visuals. Viewers who appreciate challenging, genre-bending cinema with a strong social message often find it compelling and unforgettable.
Overall Summary of Reviews: Reviews suggest The Ugly Stepsister is a polarizing but highly impactful film, celebrated by those who appreciate its gruesome yet insightful commentary on beauty and societal pressures, even if its explicit content proves challenging for some.
Box Office
As a film with a limited theatrical release and strong festival presence before its digital/streaming debut, specific broad box office figures for The Ugly Stepsister are not widely available in the search results. It primarily served as a limited theatrical release ahead of its streaming premiere, typical for independent and arthouse horror films.
Production
The Ugly Stepsister is a Norwegian production, serving as the feature film directorial debut of Emilie Blichfeldt, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film draws heavily from the darker, original Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, focusing on the titular character's experiences and challenging conventional fairytale tropes.
Production Companies: MerFilm (Norway)
Sales Companies: Memento Films International (France)
Distribution Companies
IFC Films (United States)
Shudder (United States)
These companies are responsible for the film's limited theatrical run and its streaming/digital release in the United States.
Release Date on Streaming
The Ugly Stepsister was released digitally and for streaming on Shudder and VOD/digital platforms on May 9, 2025.
Theatrical Release
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025. It later had a limited theatrical release in the United States starting April 18, 2025, through IFC Films and Shudder. It also screened at various international film festivals in early 2025, including the Berlin International Film Festival (February 16, 2025), Monsters of Film in Sweden (March 23, 2025), and Night Visions Film Festival in Finland (April 3, 2025).
Why to Recommend This Movie
Bold and Original Take: If you're looking for a fresh, unconventional, and daring reinterpretation of a classic story that challenges your expectations of a fairytale.
Provocative Social Commentary: For audiences interested in films that offer sharp and uncomfortable critiques of unrealistic beauty standards, societal pressures, and the patriarchal systems that perpetuate them.
Visceral Body Horror: If you appreciate horror that is not afraid to be grotesque and use physical discomfort to underscore deeper psychological and social anxieties.
Strong Female Perspective: The film offers a unique, feminist perspective on the pressures faced by women, delivered by a female director exploring her own experiences.
Why to Watch Movie
Fans of Subversive Fairy Tales: To experience a dark and twisted adult version of a familiar story that delves into its unsettling undertones.
Body Horror Enthusiasts: If you are drawn to films that use grotesque physical transformations and extreme imagery to explore themes of identity, pain, and societal influence.
Seek Challenging Cinema: To engage with a film that aims to provoke thought and discomfort, pushing boundaries in its genre and thematic exploration.
Explore Feminist Filmmaking: To witness a debut feature from a promising female director tackling relevant social issues with a distinctive and uncompromising artistic voice.
What Movie Trend Film is Following
The film is following the trend of "Subversive Fairy Tale Reinterpretations" and "Socially Conscious Body Horror." It takes familiar narratives and twists them into dark, often gruesome, commentaries on contemporary social issues, using explicit physical transformation and gore as a central thematic device to explore the psychological and societal pressures related to body image, gender roles, and class.
What Big Social Trend is Following
The Ugly Stepsister aligns with the big social trend of "Heightened Awareness and Critique of Unrealistic Beauty Standards and Body Image Pressures." It directly engages with and critiques the pervasive cultural obsession with physical perfection, the lengths individuals go to achieve it, and the detrimental impact of these pressures, particularly on women. It also touches on the broader societal conversation around female autonomy and breaking free from patriarchal expectations.
Final Verdict
The Ugly Stepsister is an audacious, uncomfortable, and ultimately impactful directorial debut from Emilie Blichfeldt. It successfully transforms a beloved children's story into a gruesome, thought-provoking body horror film that serves as a potent social commentary on beauty standards, female subjugation, and desperation. While its explicit gore and satirical tone may not be for everyone, its uncompromising vision and relevant themes make it a significant and unforgettable contribution to contemporary genre cinema, positioning Blichfeldt as a compelling new voice.
Recommendations for Filmmakers
Embrace Bold Interpretations: Don't be afraid to radically reinterpret familiar narratives or genres to deliver fresh perspectives and strong social commentary. Originality in approach can lead to significant impact.
Utilize Genre to Explore Deeper Themes: Employ genre conventions (like body horror) not just for shock value, but as a powerful vehicle to metaphorically explore complex psychological, social, and political themes.
Focus on Distinct Visual and Tonal Aesthetics: Meticulously crafting the visual style and atmosphere can greatly enhance the film's immersive quality and reinforce its thematic intentions.
Prioritize Authentic Emotional Core: Even with extreme or fantastical elements, grounding the story in relatable human emotions like desperation, envy, or the desire for acceptance can make the narrative more resonant.
Recommendations for Movie Industry
Support Uncompromising Artistic Voices: Actively seek out and champion directors with unique and unconventional visions, especially those tackling difficult or controversial subjects, as these films often lead to significant cultural discourse.
Recognize the Power of Genre for Social Commentary: Understand that genres like horror can be incredibly effective tools for exploring and critiquing contemporary social issues in a visceral and accessible way.
Embrace Diverse Narrative Perspectives: Encourage and fund projects that offer fresh takes on classic stories or explore narratives from traditionally marginalized or villainized viewpoints, promoting greater empathy and understanding.
Invest in Independent and International Cinema: Continue to support independent productions and international co-productions, as these films often push boundaries and introduce new talents and perspectives to global audiences.
Final Conclusions
The Ugly Stepsister is a testament to the enduring power of fairy tales as a foundation for profound social commentary, even when reinterpreted through a lens of the grotesque. Emilie Blichfeldt's debut is a courageous and unflinching film that holds a mirror to the dark side of beauty obsession and societal pressures, challenging audiences to confront uncomfortable truths. Its successful navigation of festivals and its impending wider release signify the industry's growing appetite for bold, genre-bending cinema that sparks important conversations about our world.
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