Review by Chris Rennirt
According to Google, there are “hundreds, possibly over a thousand” versions of the Cinderella fairytale worldwide, both written and spoken. The version familiar to most of us, of course, is the highly-sanitized, animated Disney film from 1950, made for children, with dancing, singing and the usual light-hearted fun. The Disney iteration was inspired by a French version written by Charles Perrault in 1697 in his Tales of Mother Goose–one with the classic pumpkin, fairy godmother, carriage and glass slipper. A later version by the Grimm Brothers in 1812 was one that took a horrifying departure from anything suitable for children. Now, in 2025, we have a new, most unique addition to the worldwide collective of Cinderella folklore. From Norway, it’s a live-action movie titled The Ugly Stepsister…and it’s surely the most violent, gory and truly horrifying of all! And what an awesome thing that is!
“Twice or thrice I loved thee before I knew thy face or name, but a voice and a shapeless flame.” ~ From Pince Julian’s Most Beautiful Poems
The movie begins with Elvira (Lea Myren) and her younger sister Alma (Flo Fagerli) traveling with their widowed mother, Rebekka (Anne Dahl Torp), to the kingdom of Swedlandia. There, the mother will marry the octogenarian widower, Otto (Ralph Carlsson), only because she believes he has money. Otto’s beautiful, blonde daughter is–you guessed it–Cinderella (aka Angnes here)! But, even though this is a “Cinderella” story, here Cinderella is not the focus of it. And thus begins the first, perhaps most important deviation from the stories we know. This story is told mostly through the experiences and perspective of the oldest stepsister—the one deemed by the title to be “The Ugly Stepsister.”
Elvira (Lea Myren) arriving at her new home, unaware of the horrors ahead.
The “ugly” one, Elvira, begins the story as a wide-eyed, plump-cheeked girl, naïve and innocent, amazed by the newly-opulent world she inhabits in Swedlandia. She reads romantic poetry habitually, and dreams of romance with none other than the royalty of the realm, Prince Julian—one she already loves in daydreams and awake, longing to be in his arms, married, happily ever after. But, is that the ending she’ll get? Elvira’s journey to the end is one of physical and mental pain and suffering. And this is fairytale horror, filled with blood, gore and body-horror galore!
“It’s beautiful. You’re changing your outside to fit what you know is on the inside.” ~ Sophie von Kronenberg
Speaking of gore, writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt leaves nothing to the imagination! Blood, vomit, corpses crawling with maggots and on-screen dismemberment are just a few of the delicacies served for horror hounds here. Copious body horror is the icing on the cake, giving this tale of Cinderella body trauma more extreme than anything from the Brothers Grimm. Up-close, sometimes even macro-close focus brings viewers in for the details to uncomfortable, phobic places. Those with ommetaphobia (fear of things around the eyes) and aichmophobia (fear of sharp objects) beware! This is gore and violence to make even jaded horror fans wince with vicarious pain. Clever and powerful with intensity, exaggeration and satire, it’s a total success as the darkest of dark humor!
Rebekka (Anne Dahl Torp) and Alma (Flo Fagerli) with two very different reactions to the same horror!
What’s better is the film’s masterful blend of practical and visual digital effects. Digital effects were mostly used for close-ups of transformations and blood, aiming for (and certainly achieving) a more stylized, even surrealistic look. The majority of the effects, however, were practical and physically there, making them all the more visceral, visually tangible and horrific. Silicone prosthetics and fake body parts created an ultra-photorealistic result for Elvira’s grotesque changes. Too often, too much or all CGI ruins an otherwise great horror film, but not here! And Lea Myren’s reaction to it all is even more icing on the cake! Her retching and heaving as she vomits (with a real vomit face), while something I won’t name comes out of her mouth, is a new classic scene in horror!
“After a lifetime in the shade of that hump, your beautiful eyes deserve some extra attention.” ~ Dr. Esthtique
This is also a movie where the details of nudity, sex and its products leave less to the imagination than one might expect from a story of fairytale origins. (It seems to be a European thing, I think.) Scenes of naked genitalia are jolting, seeming almost gratuitous at first; that is until you realize how effective and consistent they are, keeping with the film’s graphic nature. Such scenes match the movie’s gritty, carnal feel, juxtaposing extremes of pleasure and pain in the film overall, complimenting and emphasizing each one all the more. Yes! One cannot miss the underlying influence on the viewing experience. This, as a metaphor, highlights the difference in the experiences of Cinderella and “The Ugly Stepsister”–the pleasure of beauty versus the pain of self-perceived ugliness, as well as such perceptions inflicted on her by others. Yes! There is an obvious reason that I put the “The Ugly Stepsister,” and “ugly” in quotation marks, and refer to Elvira’s ugliness as “self-perceived.” She is obviously NOT ugly–another overarching tragedy of her experience. This film has layers of intelligent complexity, allowing many diverse interpretations, any of which could be correct depending on one’s justification! But, on the issue of Elvira not really being “ugly,” I stand firm!
As Dr. Esthtique says, “Beauty is pain.”
This, as more fact than interpretation, is a version of the fairy tale in which Agnes–aka Cinderella (Thea Sofie Loch Næss)–is not the wholesome, entirely sweet virginal type Disney would have. This Cinderella is a typical young woman, albeit exceptionally beautiful, with flaws of greed and arrogance, vulnerable to impulse and desire—just like anyone else! In many ways, she a tragic version of the fairytale beauty or damsel in distress, caused by being human. While Agnes is by no means a villain, there are times when she is dislikeable, too flawed, too brutal with words, and too vindictive to be her fairy-tale counterpart. Her final act is a coupe de grace, perhaps more brutal than anything else in the film. But, since Agnes is also called Cinderella in the movie, Agnes is, in fact, more than just a counterpart in a similar story; she is Cinderella. And I love her extremely long, blue-blood name: Agnes Angelica Alicia Victoria von Morgenstierne Munthe of Rosenhoff. (Try saying that three times fast!) By contrast, we have the disparaging name “Elvira von Stepsister” for Elvira. And I would digress to a spoiler, if I went further in the details of that.
Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), aka Cinderella, in a scene with all the magic of a true fairy tale.
And is this version’s prince–Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth)–the stereotypic fairytale charmer, cultured with chivalry? While the details about him remain a mystery, we get enough to see a darker side for sure. Is he something far worse than he seems, giving an anti-victory to any woman with a foot to fit the slipper? I’ll just say that Calmroth captures, often in just a look, the subtle, conspicuous and suspicious character of Prince Julian.
“Removing braces is simple. The nose, on the other hand…” ~ Dr. Esthtique
Also captivating in a supporting role is Flo Fagerli, as Elvira’s younger sister Alma. Fagerli portrays Alma with believable compassion and empathy, providing perhaps the only example of utopian humanity, in a movie otherwise devoid of any. She is the only one who rejects the superficial expectations of society and it’s attempts to control her. She is even, perhaps, in the end, another fairy godmother of sorts. And again, spoilers are ahead if I say more.
A wistful Elvira (Lea Myren) gazing out a window of Swedlandia
Lastly, but of most importance, is Elvira (Lea Myren), the obvious main character and co-protagonist, along with Agnes. Elvira is a victim of herself and those around her–including those who should love and protect her, specifically her mother. In this highly-competitive fairytale world, Elvira will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, fighting tooth and nail…literally. (Unlike in the classic tale, she has no magical help, no fairy godmother, in contrast to the beautiful Cinderella.) In the most basic sense, Elvira does what she does to survive, in a world where a woman on her own is nothing without a man of means to support her. She also does what she does to survive the compulsions of her mental state, as a coping mechanism. Elvira’s transformation, mental as well as physical, comes from pain, dealing with it or succumbing to it. And this makes the film a success in yet another genre—psychological horror. In this version of Cinderella, The Ugly Stepsister is not just the film’s title; it is also a label for Elvira that haunts her and defeats her dreams, symbolizes the cruelty in her life, and leads to her self-destructive self-perception. This complexity is an element that elevates the movie to another level, allowing us to look deeper, beneath the gore, opulence and ironic humor. This is what makes the story all the more original and different! And without the performance of Lea Myren, drawing viewers so masterfully into Elvira’s world, none of this would be possible.
“I’d rather die than to my heart lie and be with one I do not love.” ~ Elvira
Although The Ugly Stepsister is Emille Blichfeldt’s directorial debut, I’m already a fan, looking forward to what’s next. This film is exactly what was needed to restore my confidence in horror, especially as it makes something totally new from something centuries old. Blichfeldt’s bold, graphic style, use of rich, well-developed characters, and up-close, unflinching focus on “the horror” make me want more already! As you may have already guessed, The Ugly Stepsister is an easy ten rockets for me, without reservation. Quite simply, I LOVED this movie! For me, it also makes the rare list of movies that I will watch again and again. (I’ve already watched it twice in two days!) This one even has a bonus for those who watch past the credits!
Elvira (Lea Myren) and Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) share a dance at the ball.
Finally, what would any review of a great movie be without questions for intrigue? A movie with such layers and complexity has many, for sure! Who will land the princely prize, and will they really live happily ever after? Will the winner get what they bargained for in the end? (This is, after all, a prince from fairy-tale horror!) Are Agnes and Elvira both greedy for different reasons, to the same end, making them much more alike than they are different? Will we get a sequel to see the “ever after”…for Elvira, Agnes, Alma, Rebekka, Prince Julian, and yes, even Otto of Swedlandia? Hopefully so! In the meantime, get your popcorn ready with an extra bowl for puking…just in case! The Ugly Stepsister is the best horror film of the year and one not to miss!
Rocket Rating – 10
Chris Rennirt is a movie critic and writer in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as editor in chief at Space Jockey Reviews. He has been a judge at many film festivals, including Macabre Faire Film Festival and Crimson Screen Film Fest, and he attends horror and sci-fi conventions often. Chris’ movie reviews, articles, and interviews appear in Effective Magazine and are published regularly on Space Jockey Reviews.