Review: The Ugly Stepsister

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Official synopsis: Follows Elvira (Lea Myren) as she battles against her gorgeous stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) in a realm where beauty reigns supreme. She resorts to extreme measures to captivate the prince (Isac Calmroth) , amidst a ruthless competition for physical perfection.

It's no coincidence that some of the best body horror films are ones that are about the ridiculous beauty standards placed upon women. "Beauty is pain" after all. The two go hand in hand.  Here, first time director Emilie Blichfeldt takes a classic fairy tale that we all know and dials it up to eleven.

Prepare to cringe. Poor Elvira goes to serious lengths to be deemed "beautiful." Nevermind that Elvira IS already beautiful, but she has *gasp* braces and a bump in her nose. (allegedly) Her mother doesn't support her daughter and tell her she's fine the way she is, instead she encourages the painful procedures Elvira goes through. It's hard to watch on multiple fronts. Not just the gore, but to see all these women with self-esteem in the gutter and the men around them being gross. 

Myren is an absolute star and I cannot wait to see what she does next. She easily gives one of the best performances of the year. Another surprise stand out is Elvira's little sister Alma, played by Flo Fagerli. Alma is the only one not caught up in the beauty game and because of that she's often on the sidelines, but every time she shows up she radiates the kindness that more people in this film need. I wish there had been more of her, Elvira and Agnes together.

It's a very interesting take on Cinderella, and I'd much rather see these darker versions of fairy tales instead of simple live action Disney remakes. I had originally planned on saving this review for October so I can talk horror all month, but I couldn't wait. I've been wanting to see this for a while and I'm so glad I finally got the chance to.

The Ugly Stepsister is currently streaming on Shudder.

Grade: B

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