In a cinematic landscape oversaturated with safe reboots and sanitized fairy tales, The Ugly Stepsister bursts through the doors and screams in your face as if to say, “No more!” Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt takes the familiar Cinderella fairytale and rips it apart at the seams, stitching it back together into a grotesque, beautiful, and deeply thought-provoking meditation on femininity, societal expectations, and the violent contortions we undergo to be deemed “worthy.”
We follow Elvira (Lea Myren), the so-called “ugly” stepsister, who dreams of nothing more than marrying her Prince Charming and living out her life in his castle. But in order to get anywhere, she (and her Mother) believe she must alter her appearance to be worthy of Prince Julian’s (Isac Calmroth) attention. This is where the film really goes all in to gross out the audience.
The film’s exploration of beauty standards is one of its most powerful weapons. Blichfeldt doesn’t just critique them — she disembowels them. Elvira’s journey from rejection to transformation isn’t the kind of makeover montage we’ve seen a thousand times in teen movies or Disney’s Cinderella. It’s a brutal, physical metamorphosis that plays out through body horror sequences that are equal parts disturbing and deeply symbolic. Nose breaks, hair falling out in clumps — and one particular scene that made me look away from my laptop and almost gag (if you know, you know) — every moment is laced with metaphor. These aren’t changes made for Elvira’s personal growth, but rather for social acceptance, survival, and, ultimately, erasure.
The Ugly Stepsister may not be for the faint of heart, but it’s one of the most daring films of the year.
The performances are uniformly strong, but it’s the lead who anchors the film. Lea Myren’s portrayal is raw and riveting, navigating a full spectrum of emotions. She brings empathy, rage, and desperation to the role. It’s a breakout performance in every sense — and one that, in many ways, is painfully relatable in today’s world of constant judgment and unattainable beauty ideals shaped by social media.
The Ugly Stepsister may not be for the faint of heart, but it’s one of the most daring films of the year. It’s a fairy tale weaponized into a critique of how society prizes appearance over authenticity, and conformity over individuality.
If you’re a fan of body horror with a message that lingers long after the credits roll, this is absolutely the film for you. Since watching it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it — not just because of the gross-out moments, but because of the message it delivers. A message I have to remind myself of from time to time: Social beauty standards often lead to the erasure of individuality. We are beautiful just as we are.
The Ugly Stepsister is out now in Selected Cinemas Nationwide
The Ugly Stepsister will also be making its way to Shudder in due course
Alice’s Archive – The Ugly Stepsister
Discover more from The Geek Show
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
