Genre – Horror
Director – Emilie Blichfeldt
Writer – Emilie Blichfeldt
Cast – Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, and Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, Malte Myrenberg Gårdinger, Ralph Carlsson, Cecilia Forss
Runtime – 105 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Where To Watch/Stream The Ugly Stepsister
This movie made me want to hug my reflection and then punch it.
Some films you go in with low expectations, and those expectations are met.
While some others, they are exceeded.
The Ugly Stepsister is one that exceeded my expectations greatly.
Plot Summary of The Ugly Stepsister (Spoiler-Free)
The Ugly Stepsister starts out with familiar bones. You’ve got your poor, overlooked girl named Elvira. She’s one of the stepsisters from the Cinderella story, but she’s not the one throwing shoes or being catty. She’s just there. Quiet, awkward, and deeply human in the saddest way.
Her family moves into a mansion to live with a wealthy suitor and his daughter, Agnes. The guy dies almost immediately (no joke, he drops dead faster than you can say “plot device”), and the rest of the movie spirals into a bleak, beautifully horrific take on beauty, motherhood, and what happens when society treats women like dolls to be remodeled.
It plays loosely with the Cinderella structure, but there’s no magic, just surgeries, and a mother obsessed with appearances. It’s Cinderella, but as if David Cronenberg sat down and said, “What if this was a horror movie about invasive cosmetic surgery and emotional annihilation?”
The Ugly Stepsister Review: Is It Worth Watching?
The Ugly Stepsister is a body horror film that is deeply uncomfortable, weirdly beautiful, and emotionally disturbing in the best possible ways. Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt in her directorial debut, it’s a film that wants to shock you both mentally and visually, and that it does.
It’s also a film that never lets you off the hook. It doesn’t give you easy villains or comforting resolutions. It points the camera straight at the cultural obsession with beauty and basically goes, “Look at this. Look what it costs.” And you do. You watch. And then you wish you hadn’t, but also you’re glad you did.
Elvira, played with haunting stillness by Lea Myren, is fantastic. She never shouts, and never makes a scene. But somehow she’s louder than everyone else in the film. You can see her desperation in every movement. She’s not angry, but she is tired. She’s been made to feel like she has to earn love through transformation.
And let’s talk about that mother. Holy hell. She’s not evil in the Disney way. She’s not cackling or throwing curses. She’s the kind of villain that exists in real life. The mom who loves you as long as you fit the image she’s selling. Every line she delivers made my skin crawl, but also made me think about how normalized it’s become to treat daughters as projects instead of people.
The movie’s aesthetic also makes it look like everything used to be pretty. There are hints of fairy tale architecture – chandeliers, lace, grand staircases – but it all feels dirty, faded, and wrong. Like the house is wearing makeup that’s been slept in. The color palette is all cold blues and sickly grays. It’s beautiful in the way a haunted house is beautiful.
This isn’t a loud movie, and silence is at times used as a weapon, but it’s not boring. It’s tense, like something terrible is just around the corner, and most of the time, you will be right. The soundtrack doesn’t try to tell you how to feel. It just gives you enough space to feel awful all on your own.
If you’re into horror that actually says something, this is one to watch. If you’re looking for jump scares and final girls, maybe skip it. It’s a film that isn’t just content with grossing you out, it also wants to put you smack bang in the middle of what it is critiquing.
The body horror here serves a purpose, and has a message.
A very powerful message.
What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)
Pros
Elvira’s Character Arc
Elvira isn’t your typical horror protagonist. She’s fragile, and watching her lose herself slowly over the course of the film was devastating. It wasn’t some dramatic downfall. It was a quiet surrender. And that made it even worse. Or better? I don’t even know anymore.
Lea Myren’s Performance
This woman deserves awards. She doesn’t play Elvira with drama or theatrics. She plays her with soft, sad realism. IShe was Elvira, and it messed me up a little.
The Body Horror Was Actually Smart
I’m not a huge gore person, but this movie uses it with purpose. The surgeries, the scars, the blood, it all serves the theme.
The Visual Tone
The film looks like a fairy tale that’s been left in the rain. Everything’s a little warped, a little off, and it works. The production design is quietly unsettling, and every detail feels like it has a story.
No Easy Answers
The film doesn’t wrap things up in a bow. There are no winners. No big speeches. No justice. Just a girl who disappears piece by piece. It’s honest in a way that most movies are too scared to be.
The Psychological Impact
I didn’t just watch this movie. I felt it. It made me think about beauty standards, about parenting, about how society treats people who don’t fit the mold. I left feeling deeply uncomfortable in the best possible way.
That Last Shot
No spoilers, but the final scene was excellent. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t loud. It was just… the end. And it was perfect.
Cons
Pacing in the Second Act
Things slow way down in the middle, and not in a good way, and a few scenes felt repetitive.
Lack of Background for Other Characters
Agnes, the stepsister, could’ve used more development. I wanted to know more about what made her tick. Same with the mother. I mean, she’s terrifying, but I wouldn’t have minded a peek under that terrifying exterior.
Slightly Pretentious in Spots
There were maybe one or two scenes where I felt the director nudging me like, “Hey, notice this symbolism? I’m clever, right?” And yeah, you are. But stop winking at me. Just tell the story.
Who might like The Ugly Stepsister
- Fans of horror with substance
- People interested in feminist film themes
- If you enjoy slow-burn character studies
- Film students who want to write long essays about symbolism
- People who like being emotionally wrecked on purpose
- Viewers who don’t mind some gore if it has a point
Who might dislike The Ugly Stepsister
- People who don’t like body horror
- Anyone sensitive to themes around body image or beauty standards
- Those who prefer fast-paced storytelling
- People who want a ‘fun’ movie
- Anyone who just wants a cozy movie night
Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching The Ugly Stepsister?
Yes. In a twisted, painful kind of way.
The Ugly Stepsister tells this one, incredibly bleak story, and does it with precision. It’s a horror film, but not in the usual sense. The real horror isn’t the blood or the surgeries. It’s the idea that a person can be so convinced they need to change, they stop being a person at all.
I wouldn’t say I had a good time watching it, but I would say I’m glad I did. It made me think. It made me feel. And it made me want to call every woman I know and scream, “You’re beautiful, just stop!”
8/10. Miserable in the best way possible.
The Ugly Stepsister Trailer
Simon Leasher
A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More
And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.
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