Horror Movie Review: The Ugly Stepsister (2025)

Rarely do I feel the need to open a review with a warning, but I must here. To watch The Ugly Stepsister, one requires a strong stomach. It is a body horror film, and a grim one at that, yet its approach to this and how it combines psychological horror and black comedy, is what makes it noteworthy. Not only being downright disgusting in places, but with graphic sex scenes and nudity, and impressively, potent emotion too. If you had told me that another ‘retelling’ of the Cinderella story would be one of the best films of the year, I’d have laughed so hard, I’d have vomited. Which would have been fitting.

A Norwegian horror (Den Stygge Stesøsteren) written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, in her directorial debut, if you can believe that. The film stars Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp and Flo Fagerli.

As I already said, it is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale, but the focus is on the character of Elvira, one of the ‘ugly’ stepsisters. She, her mother Rebekka, her sister, Alma, and stepsister, Agnes (Cinderella), are facing destitution following the sudden death of Otto, her mother’s husband and Agnes’ father. To avoid this and having heard that Prince Julian is to choose a wife at an upcoming ball, Rebekka decides to try and marry Elvira to the prince. Something Elvira dreams of doing.

There’s just one problem. Elvira is ugly, and both her and her mother know it. There’s little chance of her being chosen. So, to improve Elvira’s chances, she needs to be… changed. Which is where the body horror comes into play. Rebekka will do anything to save herself from poverty, even mutilate her daughter, and Elvira will do anything to marry the prince, even if it destroys her body, mind, and soul.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed watching this film, even if there were multiple times where I couldn’t actually watch it. Now, everyone’s mileage with horror will vary, but when it comes to body horror, my mileage doesn’t go far. There’s just something about bodies transformed, painfully and realistically, that churns my stomach, and The Ugly Stepsister has plenty of moments that did that. No spoilers but just think about the fact that Cinderella is set in ‘olden’ times and not only was pain relief very limited, but medical procedures were downright barbaric.

Alongside this is the psychological side of things that creates a whole new dimension of horror. The horror that comes from beauty standards, abuse, manipulation, and fear. All combining to create a whirlwind that is real and relatable. There are a lot of horrible people here, and the Cinderella story is turned on its head, but there are also a lot of sympathetic people too, least of all Elvira herself.

Credit to all involved. Director Emilie Blichfeldt does an impeccable job of creating atmosphere and a foreboding tone, but it’s how the senses are jarred by the dark comedic touches and expressive lighter moments that show off talent. In less capable hands, it would have been a mess. Likewise, the cast are amazing, embodying the characters but from a darker place, and gleefully throwing their all into the mad moments. If all of that wasn’t enough, the film looks amazing (the ball is a stunning showcase of set design and costumes), the effects are strong, and the music is really impressive. You might not think synth would work in a film like this, but it really does.

In case you can’t tell, I loved this film and urge you to see, provided you’re capable of keeping your lunch down. The only negative relates to the dubbed version, an unusual choice considering a subtitled one is available, but once the ears adjust, it’s not really a problem and the voice actors are decent. Thankfully, this is a film that lives and dies on expressions and body language, and that stuff is flawless.