Carl Roberts 
“While not a charming fairy tale by any means, The Ugly Stepsister throws a sympathetic, tragic light on the story of one of the stepsisters.”
Bridgerton meets The Substance in the Nordic body-horror movie, The Ugly Stepsister (Den stygge stesøsteren). Written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt in her directorial debut, the film introduces Lea Myren and also stars Thea Sofie Loch Næss (The Last Kingdom) and Ane Dahl Torp (The Wave). It is a Norwegian body horror movie based on the story of Cinderella. However, this certainly isn’t any fairy tale you’ve ever read. What it is needs to be seen to be believed. Part costume drama, part horror film, the movie takes the tale and gives it a cruel and unyielding twist. Prince Charming isn’t so nice or charming. Cinderella certainly isn’t a virginal saint with a good heart. And the mice here won’t be singing or dancing. But beneath its exterior lies a tale that is sad and at times, tragic. And no one will escape this tale unaffected in some way.
PREMISE
Elvira (Lea Myren) has one all-consuming obsession. To win the affection of her kingdom’s handsome prince and live happily ever after. Yet, she lives in the shadow of her beautiful stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss). She seems fated for the happy ending she’s always dreamed of. But, in a kingdom where beauty is prized above all things, Elvira will get what she wants, no matter what…
THOUGHTS
A homage to Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. The Ugly Stepsister is a dark and gruesome adaptation of the classic story, where you truly find out exactly how much pain beauty is. From the opening scene, we see how desperate Elvira is to marry the prince. Her overriding ambition is the one thing she desires to improve in her life. But once this dream sequence is over, we see how Elvira really looks. Wearing braces on her teeth and appearing unwashed, Elvira is far from what the prince would even consider. But here lies the point. Elvira ISN’T ugly at all. She is just told she is by her overbearing mother. At no point do we look at her and think she is disgusting. It truly hammers home that beauty is only skin deep.
Elvira is actually pure of heart. She doesn’t go out of her way to offend Agnes (Cinderella), her beautiful new stepsister. She tries as hard as she can to be her friend and comfort her after her father’s death during the celebrations of his and Elvira’s mother’s wedding day. Despite Elvira trying to comfort her and to be a shoulder to cry on, Agnes instead blames her for the death of her father. In addition, she mistakenly believes that her father wouldn’t have married Elvira’s mother if she didn’t have money. The irony is, she doesn’t, believing her now late husband was rich. Now, both young women vie to marry the prince, but for different reasons. Agnes, because she believes it is her destiny and her right, Elvira, to make her dreams come true and to help out her vile, nasty, conniving mother.
A TALE TURNED ON ITS HEAD
From about the twenty-minute mark, we see Agnes in a whole new light, one that we don’t expect. Instead of a kind, loving and virtuous young woman, we see a nasty, vindictive and sexually active woman. One scene sees Elvira stumbling upon Agnes having sex with the stablehand in the stable itself. This scene, while also shocking us with its raw and explicit content (and I do mean explicit), shows us Elvira’s innocence. She uses it to her advantage, though, bringing us back to the familiar territory of Agnes (Cinderella) being reduced to a maid (slave) for the family. But even in this, we see the kindness in Elvira. The tale has really been turned on its head.
From here, we see what lengths Elvira and her mother will go to make Elvira beautiful enough for the prince to fall in love with her. Those of a squeamish nature should take note here. We see the fairy tale version of plastic surgery in this world: a nose job accomplished with a hammer and chisel, and painfully breaking Elvira’s nose. Worse is to come, however. By the time we reach the climax and Elvira’s attempt to make the lost slipper fit, we are revulsed, and our stomachs may have expelled our lastly eaten food back up the way it went down.
THE CAST
Lea Myren as Elvira and Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Agnes are wonderfully cast, with both giving outstanding performances. Lea Myren is, quite simply, superb as Elvira. Instead of having us hate her, we actually feel for her, wanting her to get some semblance of a normal life, for someone to face her and tell her she’s beautiful in her own way. Instead, she is put down at every turn, seemingly, even by the Prince ( a slimy performance from Isac Calmroth as Prince Julian, another standout). Throughout the film, the actress gives us something that we won’t forget: a raw and very real portrayal of someone who believes the lies about her appearance to the extent that she suffers greatly because of it. By the time the film ends, we have been through it all with her, and not one moment of it has been comfortable.
Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Agnes is a contradiction in terms. One moment, she is the person we expect her to be. Next, she is a vile, nasty, vindictive woman who we hope will get her comeuppance. But then the narrative turns in her favour again, bringing us back to the fairy tale itself. But not once does the young actress turn in a bad performance. She looks like Cinderella for the most part, but her soul isn’t pure by any stretch of the imagination. Thea Sofie Loch Næss plays into this contradiction with aplomb, relishing the chance to turn the story on its head. And she accomplishes it in style. While kudos also must go to Flo Fagerli as Elvira’s little sister, Alma. Quiet and unassuming for the most part, she comes into her own later on.
VERDICT
While not a charming fairy tale by any means, The Ugly Stepsister throws a sympathetic, tragic light on the story of one of the stepsisters. With the incredible writing and direction from Emilie Blichfeldt at its heart, this is a tale that will turn many stomachs with its brutally raw and uncompromising storytelling. Sure, we can see the bones of the Disney version buried underneath. But the original Brothers Grimm story is the crux here. Their original tale was more violent, which Emilie Blichfeldt used to create her film here. Those who have read the story’s original version will be heartened to hear that some of the climax has made its way into this version. Not all of it, but enough. This version makes the stepsisters more sympathetic and not as devious, though, something that the film uses to its advantage.
Those with weak stomachs need to steer clear of the film. Like The Substance before it, The Ugly Stepsister pulls no punches when it comes to the blood, gore and stomach-churning images. For those who don’t mind such things and want to see a real version of the classic fairy tale, there is much to like and enjoy here. It is raw, uncompromising, and explicit (how the stable scene got past the censors, I’ll never know) and bloody. Take out the fantasy elements, and we have a folk-horror/ body horror movie for the ages. Ignore the fact that the film is Norwegian and subtitled. Horror fans will enjoy what has been created here. The film, at times, may be ugly. But The Ugly Stepsister is anything but.
Vertigo Releasing will release The Ugly Stepsister on April 25th.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
