FILM REVIEW: The Ugly Stepsister (2025)

The Ugly Stepsister - New Release Review

Director: Emilie Blichfeldt

Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth

Written by: Emilie Blichfeldt

Produced by: Maria Ekerhovd

Cinematography by: Marcel Zyskind

Original Score by: John Erik Kaada

Synopsis:

Elvira must battle against her gorgeous stepsister in a realm where beauty reigns supreme. She resorts to extreme measures to captivate the prince, amidst a ruthless competition for physical perfection.

Thoughts:

Taking the immortal story of 'Cinderella', one of the most recycled fairytales of all time, Emilie Blichfeldt explores the darker, malevolent aspects from the point of view of Elvira, the older ugly stepsister. It's shocking but incredibly enjoyable viewing.

Make no mistake about it, this is as far from the Disney version as you can possibly imagine. Emilie Blichfeldt's debut feature is brutal and abhorrent. A visceral look at how woman and their bodies only exist for the sole purpose to become property of men. The commentary here is as obvious as it gets but that's okay because in the grand scheme of things it's actually not that far removed from the story we all know (and love?) but this version just hones in on the grisly details. Ultimately the journey and the destination are the same. And the main villain of the story here isn't the men involved but Elvira's insanely, evil mother.

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This is a story about obsession. There's a lot of gaslighting going on here and the visuals are quite graphic. Despite the sinister themes and imagery, there's a playfulness to how Emilie and Markus Zsykind shoots the film and the absurdity at where the story goes elicits some darkly comedic moments. The unique musical score, that somehow fuses traditional classical with modern electronic, helps to enforce the whimsical ambience.

Much like 'Grafted', another female led body horror that landed on Shudder recently, 'The Ugly Stepsister' will likely benefit from the incredible success of 'The Substance' and maybe even piggyback of it for a while. Coralie Fargeat's Oscar winning film will certainly get more eyes on it.

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Although the headlines will be written about the onscreen mutilations and rightfully so (there's a moment when fake eyelashes are sewn into Elvira's eyelids and toes are even sliced off) but the film is really held together by the performances from the three leading actresses. And in particular, Lea Myren whose transformation from the naïve titular character to the desperately and dangerously obsessed Princess wannabe is truly something to witness. She holds nothing back in a horrifying final sequence.

Also. Erect penises and tapeworm vomiting. What's not to love?

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'The Ugly Stepsister' is released in US cinemas on April 18th and in UK cinemas on April 25th and available to purchase on Digital from May 9th.