If Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance aimed to dismantle ridiculous beauty standards, Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister is out for blood to rid us of misogynistic doctrines once and for all. Drawing from the many adaptations of the timeless Cinderella story, Blichfeldt shines light on the “beauty is pain” idiom. Instead of focusing on the heroine, she directs our attention to Elvira, the stepsister, whose sights are set on marrying the prince—by any means (or operation) necessary.

In this twisted body horror take on Cinderella, Elvira (Lea Myren) and her sister Alma (Flo Fagerli) move into a new home after their mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) marries Otto (Ralph Carlsson). Their new stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), the beauty of the town, takes time readjusting to her new circumstance, as she’s still not over the death of her mother. Then, when her father passes suddenly, Agnes’ entire world turns upside down. With little money for the family, and an announcement from the royal castle about the Prince’s intent to marry, Agnes wants to forge a new life away from her stepfamily.

There’s just one problem, and her name is Elvira. She has been dreaming of marrying Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) for a while. In between reading the Prince’s poetry and fantasizing about dancing in his arms, Elvira is on a mission to be his one true love. Her ache for the Prince pushes her to extremes—enough to make you squirm in your seat. Even an upsetting run-in with Julian, where he bashes her physical appearance, isn’t enough to sway her from her dreams. And there’s one person who could make it happen for her: Rebekka.

The Ugly Stepsister is a body horror epic you do not want to miss

Though the origins of this story stem from its fairy-tale framing, The Ugly Stepsister is far from one. Through Elvira’s experience, director Blichfeldt elegantly summarizes the true horrors of struggling with body image. As universal as these struggles are, the director manages to creatively explore how beauty is valued when it comes to self-image, status, and being accepted by others. For Elvira, that means being pushed to the back of the room during a dance rehearsal at finishing school to make room for beauties like her stepsister Agnes.

With everyone around Elvira aggressively pointing out her lack of beauty, it’s no wonder she conforms to the ugliness bestowed upon her. Even her own mother starves Elvira by giving her a bowl of flavored water for dinner while everyone else gets a full meal. Rebekka also orders some cosmetic procedures for Elvira, one of which includes an excruciating nose breakage in multiple places for reshaping. These activities, among a surfeit of other twisted ones, lead Elvira down an emotionally and physically painful journey—all in the name of love.

The Ugly Stepsister may say a great deal through its title, but its visual aesthetic and production are crucial to the storytelling and enhance its messages further. Rasmussen’s costuming is grand ushering in the fairytale vibes though a horror tale is lurking around the corner. The dream sequences feel enchanting and celebratory as they force you to cheer for Elvira’s desires even though we know the end result. Knowing that she is both a victim and perpetrator of cruel and painful beauty brings forth deep layers of empathy.

Lea Myren is a ‘Scream Queen’ in this show-stopping performance

Though the script doesn’t call for as much dialogue as one would expect for the titular character, Lea Myren as Elvira seizes the opportunity to wow us with her natural talent. Where the story lacks dialogue, Myren puts on a show-stopping performance via exceptional body language acting and intentional facial expressions. With every move she makes, you’ll be convinced that she was born for this role, demanding your attention every time she’s on screen.

We all know how this story ends, especially if you’ve read the Brothers Grimm version. Leading up to the Prince’s Ball are plenty of jaw-dropping moments capable of making your skin crawl. But the real triumph here is Blichfeldt’s ability to de-villainize Elvira’s character by grounding her pain in a reality that so many of us have felt at some point in our lives. This is a tale as old as time. Young women are constantly affected by the tyranny of society’s beauty standards, with no escape in sight unless we open that door ourselves.

The Ugly Stepsister premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23. The film will premiere on Shudder at a later date.