Trigger Warning: Be advised that The Ugly Stepsister includes significant elements of body torture and body-related horror.
I am not going to sit back and pretend I am an expert on all things fairy tale related, as that is a ridiculous statement to make, but I feel a certain level of confidence in stating that Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister, having its east coast premiere during the Boston Underground Film Festival 2025 (BUFF), is the most graphicly disturbing version of Grimm’s classic Cinderella to grace the silver screen thus far, and is certainly not one for the squeamish. While the movie, also written by Blichfeldt, never explicitly says it’s Cinderella (nor are any of the characters named anything from the Grimm fairy tale directly), it’s the same basic story with some twists and turns that certainly cannot prepare the audience no matter what they were expecting.
L-R: Adam Lundgren as Dr. Esthetique and Lea Myren as Elvira in Emilie Blichfeldt’s THE UGLY STEPSISTER. Photo Credit: Marcel Zyskind. Photo courtesy of Shudder.
Before we dive into the chaos and brilliance that is The Ugly Stepsister, there has to be something addressed. Whenever movies premiere at film festivals and the news breaks that said movie had audience members violently ill, pass out, terrified to the point of hospitalization, and so forth, it always feels hyperbolic and over the top. I am proud, I think that’s the right phrase, to say that what Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister earns this twisted badge of honor with its appropriate distinction and does so for two scenes distinctively. Of course, milage will all vary based on how audience members can deal with some elements of horror, specifically one instance of close-up eye torture. Quiet literally, watching this specific scene (no spoilers), I was wincing, screaming, and feeling physically ill as it unfolded on screen, and that is a hard feat to accomplish, granted eyes are the *one* thing that makes me particularly squeamish, but it was one of the more visceral, intense things I’ve seen in a while, and it did not feel unrealistic or unplausible, making it that much worse and significant. So prepare for an uncomfortable (understatement) moment in the end the second act/start of the third. You’ve been forewarned.
L-R: Ane Dahl Torp as Rebekka and Lea Myren as Elvira in Emilie Blichfeldt’s THE UGLY STEPSISTER. Photo Credit: Marcel Zyskind. Photo courtesy of Shudder.
While we all know the general story of the classic tale of Cinderella, whether it be the family-friendly Disney version or the much darker Grimm tale. The Ugly Stepsister takes that story and changes it slightly with the stepsister in question, Elvira (Lea Myren), being the focus of attention as she just gained a new “sister” in Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Naess) after her mother, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp), married Agnes’s father, Otto, (Ralph Carlson), and they moved into the home. However, things are not as they expected as Otto may have the title of someone of wealth and importance, but that is where that façade ends. When Otto unfortunately meets his end, the truth is revealed and the family is left struggling to make ends meet and risk losing it all and, subsequently, their lives. This all changes when news is that Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) is said to be looking for a wife. While everyone wants to marry the prince, Elvira and Agnes butt heads over who would be the best suiter for Julian, and Rebekka goes to some extreme lengths to try and win, to get Julian’s attention on Elvira, with varying results. No one seems to particularly care that the prince is also much more of a pig than a prince, either. He’s just their current way out of their situation. The rest of the run time is something so grotesquely beautiful and chaotic that audiences will surely be left in disbelief by what unfolds and how The Ugly Stepsister changes the classic story of Cinderella.
Lea Myren as Elvira in Emilie Blichfeldt’s THE UGLY STEPSISTER. Photo Credit: Marcel Zyskind. Photo courtesy of Shudder.
Emilie Blichfeldt’s first time writing and directing a feature is sure to be one of this year’s best horror movies, and being a quarter of the way through the year, thus far, it is hard to see anything being talked about so far to take this mantle. It is surreal, brilliant, and masterfully crafted and is going to surely send a chill down audiences’ spines. Atop the impeccable direction and writing, the entire cast is top-notch, but the standouts of Myren (Kids in Crime) and Loch Næss (La Palma) are the superglue that hold The Ugly Stepsister together and make it an undeniable execution of taking something familiar and breathing life into it in a newly horrifying and traumatizing way. Everyone involved in The Ugly Stepsister from in front of and behind the camera brings 200%, and the end result captures their passion and dedication. It’s truly one of the most graphic and wince-inducing movies of the year. Imagine Cinderella meets Suspiria (2018) meets Cronenberg (Videodrome) with a dash of del Toro (Crimson Peak).
Screening during Boston Underground Film Festival 2025.
In theaters April 18th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official BUFF The Ugly Stepsister webpage.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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