Sundance Film Festival 2025 – The Ugly Stepsister was acquired by Shudder long before the first public screening and I sat watching the film wondering why. A clever retelling of the Cinderella story, we follow ugly stepsister, Elvira (Lea Myren) who must stop at nothing to obtain wealth and security for her family. Written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, the film played like a competently produced period piece from the 70’s complete with an earthy look and intrusive, yet oddly appropriate score. Still I was baffled. Then it happened. At a certain point Elvira sacrificed her very identity for a greater purpose and the horror springs forth. The Ugly Stepsister is worth the time. Between the scenes of reserved chamber drama, there are moments of gag-inducing body horror that would make Lucio Fulci blink.

The product of a merged estate, Elvira is a kind, thoughtful, if average looking girl. With the family fortune gone, Elvira’s mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) marries the seemingly rich Otto (Ralph Carlsson) and with younger sibling Alma (Flo Fagerli) en tow, the three women move into his palatial home. Otto’s effortlessly pretty daughter Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) is kind enough, but territorial to Elvira’s friendly gestures. Tragedy strikes almost immediately as Otto passes and it is revealed there is no money in the estate. The four women are facing disaster when it is announced from the nearby castle that Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) is to hold a ball to select his new bride. Elvira realizes that the only way to save her mother, sister, is to become the most beautiful woman in the land and marry the prince.

And so the cruel body horror begins. Spending the last few pennies of the fortune on Elvira’s chance at the throne she is put through barbaric methods of aesthetic improvements. For instance a nose job consists of a pick and hammer to the face, repeatedly. These scenes are shot with an observational, uncompromising, eye so as to hear ever bone snap and each shrill cry of pain hitting the rafters. Oh but that isn’t the worst of it. With the plump Elvira still unable to control her eating, she does what any provincial socialite of her time would do and ingests a tapeworm. We won’t even go into how false eyelashes are applied. Suffice it to say that at one point of the film, the crowd at the Midnight screening erupted into applause at the ghastly moment on screen. Even this hard-boiled horror fan winced a few times and felt that uncomfortable tinge of nausea at one point.

Blichfeldt pays homage to the richly produced European fantasy films of the 60’s and 70’s  giving the film a realistic, at times gritty look that is at once gritty and fanciful. Director Of Photography Marcel Zyskind lights the scenes in earthy tones of gold and cool blue, making it all the more shocking when the flow of syrupy crimson blood gushes forth. Manon Rasmussen’s costumes too, are notable in their blend of 18th century French styles with a touch of fairy tale color.

What makes The Ugly Stepsister work so well is how we identify with Elvira and her need to bring her outward appearance in line with what is inside. Her motives are not evil. She is hardly vain. In fact she could even be considered humble. As the film starts she longingly reads romantic poetry and dreams of love. We connect with the struggle to be seen and validated with so many others gaining recognition around us. Here Elvira simply wants to be the solution and to be seen. That just desire is the thread that holds us as we watch Elvira literally tearing herself apart.

Every one of us wants to be the Cinderella in the story but most of us are just the ugly stepsister. Blichfeldt poses the question, “What is wrong with that?” Nothing really, we all have our on perspectives and reasons. In fact, we are even asked to sympathize with Cinderella who has seen her family estate handed to three women she never knew to watch her father’s corpse rot in a barn.

Between the scenes of social intrigue, and the estate drama, we have a gruesome tale of Beauty as the beast. A richly crafted horror film that will entice you with an sympathetic heroine and a good story, only to shock you with scenes of gore that will make your toes curl.