„The Ugly Stepsister“ marks the directorial debut by the Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt. Stepping into David Cronenbergs footsteps she serves us a real body horror experience based on your favorite childhood tale: Cinderella.  

When did you first realize that not everything ugly is also evil? Cinderella taught us a very clear image: the ugly stepdaughter who is jealous and evil set against the beautiful blonde girl, so innocent and pure, adored by everyone and spending her day dancing around with animals. Guess who is going to get that prince, which by the way is the best thing that could happen to a girl.

In the original tale, the evil stepdaughter even cuts her foot to fit into the petite glass shoes. Most movie adaptions left out that brutal detail, „The Ugly Stepsister“ however, takes it to another level – turning the Cinderella Story into a body horror comedy. This time, the tale is told from a new perspective, proving everyone wrong who thought the story was done telling. Feel what the women felt you grew up thinking was pathetic and evil: the shame, despair, and the will to do whatever is necessary to possibly fit beauty standards. 

This movie is not only a feminist critic on societies manic obsession with women’s beauty, but also aligns with a recent wave of films that portray former villains as ambivalent antiheroes. Definitely worth watching.