It's about time we get to finally see a more nuanced perspective of the tale of Cinderella! What if Cinderella's stepsisters weren't villains, but victims of the same oppressive beauty standards?
Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, The Ugly Stepsister is a haunting and visceral reimagining of the classic Cinderella story, this time told through the eyes of one of the "ugly" stepsisters. In her feature film directorial debut, Emilie Blichfeldt, has crafted a disturbing film that is both unsettling and thought-provoking, offering a Gothic aesthetic that immerses viewers in a world that is more grounded in reality than fairy tales.
Filmed on location in Poland, The Ugly Stepsister portrays a kingdom that exists in a time and place we are familiar with only through our cultural knowledge of fairy tales: we all know this vague European setting that sort of existed a long time ago. Cinematographer Marcel Zyskindis has painted a rich atmosphere that feels both elegant and grotesque, reflecting the film's examination of the dark underside of beauty and the painful cost of perfection.
Lea Myren delivers a remarkable performance as the "ugly stepsister", transitioning seamlessly from a naive and awkward girl with romantic dreams of marrying the prince, into a figure both sympathetic and tragic. Her innocence and insecurities evolve as the film progresses and the brutal physical transformations take their toll. She begins to embody the vanity and desperation that come with striving for external validation. She is being "eaten alive" by her insecurities, but also literally through the presence of a tapeworm she's swallowed in order to lose weight. Growing within her, and grumbling throughout the film, it's a ticking time-bomb we know is going to detonate at some point.
The supporting cast also shines, particularly the actress playing Elvira's mother (Ane Dahl Torp), whose obsessive and abusive fixation on her daughter's appearance drives much of the narrative tension. I get the feeling she's trying to work through her own traumatic past. Elvira's stepsister Alma, takes a quieter but pivotal role that plays out beautifully at the end of the movie.
At its core, The Ugly Stepsister is a feminist exploration of beauty standards and the societal roles imposed on women. In a world where a woman's worth is intrinsically tied to her ability to marry well, the natural result is the climactic ball scene we are all so familiar with. Here, young women are paraded before the prince in a grotesque display reminiscent of a dog show. Elvira's mother even instructs her to keep her "paws up" to appear more obedient, reducing her to a spectacle for male approval. She has been trained and conditioned to respond in a way that has stripped her of her individuality. All the more tragic is the knowledge that all this pain and torture for perfection was for nothing when the Prince sets eyes on the mysterious "natural" beauty of Cinderella.
The film challenges the Cinderella myth by adding complexity to all its characters. Cinderella herself is entrapped within the same societal hierarchy. Her eventual pursuit of the prince carries a bittersweet reality, knowing that she cannot be with her true love, a stable boy. She is a victim in the same world of impossible expectations that defines Elvira's journey.
Director Emilie Blichfeldt originally wanted to title the film simply, The Stepsister but chose The Ugly Stepsister to force us to examine our reaction to that word. Elvira is never truly "ugly," yet her appearance is constantly compared to Cinderella's perfection, both by her mother and by society at large. The irony is that Elvira only begins to appear "ugly" after a relentless pursuit of beauty.
Body horror is back! In The Ugly Stepsister the effects are visceral and will make you wince more than once. (But don't expect The Substance levels of cartoonish gloopiness...this is much more grounded and restrained.) From the barbaric surgery with a chisel performed to reshape Elvira's nose to the agonizing sewing of false eyelashes directly into her eyelids, the film spares no detail in depicting the physical toll of chasing beauty. I enjoyed talking with Emilie Blichfeldt about her passion for body horror so it was so cool to see her homage to a surgery scene in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers (1988), a classic in surgical body horror. The imagery is both grotesque and heartbreaking, showing how these barbaric procedures were considered acts of care and improvement in their time. The surgeon, who is both a tool of the mother's obsession and a product of societal norms, embodies the film's assertion that "beauty is pain."
I even noticed a couple of references to Disney's Cinderella including a cute moment Cinderella has with a mouse. And yes, of course Cinderella's missing shoe makes an appearance, but with a shocking twist that underscores the brutal lengths to which Elvira and her mother will go to secure their future. I heard quite a few gasps in the audience at what we were seeing on the screen. And how it went from "OMG I can't believe this is happening" to "Oh crap, I guess we're doing this now!" I loved it. The film's conclusion is both tragic and hopeful, tying together the arcs of all its central characters.
The Ugly Stepsister is a chilling, visually stunning exploration of beauty, worth, and the societal systems that shape women's lives. Emilie Blichfeldt masterfully blends Gothic aesthetics, body horror, humor, and social commentary to tell a story that is thought-provoking and uncomfortable to watch. Both a twisted fairy tale and a searing critique of societal norms, The Ugly Stepsister proves that even in a world obsessed with beauty, the ugliest truths often grumble just beneath the surface.
