THE UGLY STEPSISTER at Overlook Film Festival

by Yasin Lago

When the story of Cinderella is presented, body horror isn’t usually part of any discussion. Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt’s first feature film is about to change that, with flairs of David Cronenberg and Dario Argento with costuming and set design straight out of Hammer Studios.

A demented and imaginative take on the classic fairy tale from the point of view of Elvira, the elder of the two infamous stepsisters of the mistreated Agnes, aka Cinderella. The mother, who maneuvers through high society like a cobra, has arranged some cosmetic procedures for Elvira, deemed not attractive enough for the realm’s prince who’s looking for a princess. The procedures, and the mother’s insistence on proceeding with them intensify until the night of the enchanted ball and the horrors that would follow.

Some of the most powerful moments of The Ugly Stepsister examine both the female gaze and the corruption of it, giving the female characters a level of depth not always afforded to them by the genre. However, it never relents on the graphic visuals horror fans that horror fans will be talking about long after they’ve left the theater. Definitely one to watch with an audience, this true but original take on the Grimm’s fairy tale will be viewed through your fingers, with your hands covering your face.

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Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on April 17, 2025.