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The Ugly Stepsister

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The Ugly Stepsister

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• Horror
• Comedy

• 2025
• Emilie Blichfeldt
• 109 mins
• 18

Summary

Horror reimagining the Cinderella story from a grotesque and an entirely subversive angle. Elvira resorts to extreme measures to captivate the prince. With Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Naess and Ane Dahl Torp

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Terry Staunton

Offering a fresh twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale, this Norwegian horror focuses on a less traditionally attractive member of the family and the grotesque attempts to beautify her. Lea Myren stars as the wallflower sibling subjected to extreme medical procedures by a mother determined to turn her daughter into desirable marriage material. First-time director Emilie Blichfeldt satirises the gruesomeness and cruelty prevalent in numerous Brothers Grimm stories, although the main thrust of the narrative is a commentary on peer pressure, modern-day attitudes to body image and the perception of glamour. The minefield of dysfunctional familial relationships is addressed with dark humour, helping to undercut the scenes of primitive, barbaric surgery that more squeamish viewers may find discomforting. All told, the film presents an unsettling blend of folklore and feminism that, while well intentioned, ultimately asks more questions than it answers. Nonetheless, the Oscar-nominated prosthetics are worth tuning in for and it's held together by a captivating, heartbreaking performance by former child star Myren as the supposedly unlovable ingenue.

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7.0/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameElviraLea MyrenRebekkaAne Dahl TorpAgnesThea Sofie Loch NæssAlmaFlo FagerliPrince JulianIsac CalmrothIsakMalte GårdingerOttoRalph CarlssonConnoisseurIsac AspbergOmnivoreAlbin WeidenbladhThe CookOksana Czerkasyna

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Crew

rolenameDirectorEmilie BlichfeldtWriterEmilie BlichfeldtProducerMaria EkerhovdComposerJohn Erik KaadaComposerVilde TuvDirector of photographyMarcel ZyskindEditorOlivia Neergaard-HolmProduction designerSabine HviidProduction designerKlaudia Klimka-Bartczak

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Details

Theatrical distributor

Vertigo

Released on

2025-04-25

Languages

Norwegian | Swedish | French | Polish

Formats

Colour

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