‘The Ugly Stepsister’ Review: Worms Its Way Under Your Skin

Reimagining classic fairy tales into a bloody nightmare is nothing new, but no movie has done this subgenre more justice than The Ugly Stepsister. The Ugly Stepsister is a play on Cinderella, but with a focus on one of her stepsisters instead. The movie follows Elvira, a lovestruck, awkward girl who wishes to marry the prince. Society’s standards of beauty force Elvira to endure drastic forms of plastic surgery and other supplements, so she can catch the eye of the prince. This body horror-filled twist on the classic tale is the perfect example of how reevaluating childhood stories in a modern lens is important. Read our full review for The Ugly Stepsister below. 

Going into The Ugly Stepsister, the main aspect of the film I was hearing about was the body horror. Let me just say it delivers. It comes and goes, but the scenes we are given milk the horror for everything it is worth. There were scenes where I could not even comprehend how they got the shot. It looks incredibly real and the camera holds on the horror. There is a scene in particular where Elvira gets eyelash extensions that is not for the faint of heart. I personally have not seen a movie that utilizes plastic surgery as a form of body horror, but now that I have seen it I only want more. If you are looking for The Substance levels of body horror, you might be disappointed. The Ugly Stepsister has great body horror sequences, but they are few and far between. To me, the film’s exceptional delivery of said scenes made the lower quantity equal out. It gave just enough to satisfy any horror fan.

The entire film relies on the lead performance by Lea Mathilde Skar-Myren, in her on-screen debut. She is absolutely breathtaking as Elvira. The character is full of layers that Skar-Myren has to tackle. She has to be scary, obsessive, naive, heartbroken, jealous, graceful, ugly, beautiful, and basically every emotion the average teenage girl feels. It was a picture-perfect performance for me. When playing a character that is doing so many harmful things to themselves, as an actor, you have to make sure that the audience is always on your side and Skar-Myren never lost me. My favorite part of the film was that there was no real villain, just women forced to take extreme measures because of the world they are living in. The Ugly Stepsister is a reminder that the real villain is the standards thrust upon women. 

I would be remiss if I did not mention how beautiful the film is. With Marie Antoinette levels of perfection in costuming and production design that can be both oddly pleasing and also downright disgusting. The Ugly Stepsister is a feast for the eyes and it was clear that the director put a lot of effort into the look of the film. It almost reminded me of Robert Eggers levels of attention to detail, which is a huge compliment. 

The Ugly Stepsister will end up being one of my favorite movies of the year. It has everything I could possibly want: a complex female lead, revolting body horror, and hazy, candy colored cinematography. I think this movie will be a favorite of a lot of women, because it is clear that it was made by women for women. The body horror is pointed in a way to appeal to most women’s greatest fears. Young women are often told repeatedly “Beauty is pain,” and The Ugly Stepsister shows that pain in a cathartic way for any woman who has ever felt insecure. 

The Ugly Stepsister is the directorial debut of Emilie Kristine Blichfeldt. The film stars Lea Mathilde Skar-Myren, Ane Dahl Torp, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Flo Fagerli. The Ugly Stepsister was released in US theaters on April 18. The film originally premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

Thanks for reading our review of The Ugly Stepsister! If you liked this review make sure to check out more here at Feature First.