Dir. Emilie Blichfeldt, Norway/ Sweden/ Poland/ Denmark, 2025, 113 mins, in Swedish with subtitles

Cast: Lea Myren, Ane Dahl Torp, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Flo Fagerli

Review by Colin Dibben

A tremendous achievement, visually, artistically and in terms of genre thrills, the genres in question being dark fairy tale/ body horror. This debut feature explores the perspective of the true victim of the Cinderella story with flair, credible psychology and gore.

Elvira (Myren) moves into a beautiful castle with her mother Rebekka (Torp) and younger sister Alma (Fagerli). Rebekka is betrothed to the owner of the castle, an older gentleman with a gorgeous, blonde, haughty daughter Agnes (Næss).

Elvira is a normal looking young woman, but Rebekka and her finishing school head decide to submit her to a series of gruesome cosmetic treatments, so that Elvira can compete with Agnes for the attention of the local Prince.

Rebekka certainly abuses both Elvira and Agnes, for opposite reasons, but it is Elvira’s relationship with Agnes and her own body that becomes the focus of the film.

Myren’s performance, aided by subtle prosthetics, packs a palpable emotional punch. As her body is tortured to make it fit a certain template of female beauty, her behaviour turns ugly, in both mistreating Agnes and in tormenting her own physical body more than her mother suggests. Her ‘ownership’ of her own abuse will be controversial for some viewers, but it seemed credible to me. Or at least as ‘credible’ as a version of Cinderella can be.

Side by side with Myren’s performance, it is the visuals here that are stunning. Writer-director Emilie Blichfeldt and cinematographer Marcel Zyskind were apparently influenced by the painterly lighting and coloration of arthouse erotica maestro Walerian Borowczyk, but the UHD version looks so good that I am tempted to refer to Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. From the credits’ extended tracking shot along a table heaving with wedding feast comestibles and other less-salubrious items onwards, the film looks faultless. The interior shots are absolutely beautiful to look at, reminiscent of Old Master schemes like those found in Vermeer paintings.

Most of the ‘body horror’ on show relates to self-harm and mutilation, some of it overseen by grotesque professional service providers. There is gore aplenty – enough to keep me squealing with joy – and that perhaps highlights that this is also a comedy of sorts. Nothing is exactly serious and yet this is a cautionary tale for all.

Elvira’s final laughter suggests that her gruesome story might still have a happy or at least a resigned ending, but wow, she has been on some journey of self discovery!

The original music by Norwegian sound artist Kaada and Vilde Tuv is pretty low-frequency, throbbing and doomy, making a nice accompaniment to the dark proceedings.

The film is presented here in exquisite 4K HDR with a host of extras:

• New audio commentary with director Emilie Blichfeldt and Filmmaker Patrik Syversen

• New audio commentary by Meagan Navarro

• This Is My Ball: a new interview with director Emilie Blichfeldt

• Generational Trauma: a new interview with actor Lea Myren

• Take Up Space: a new interview with actor Thea Sofie Loch Næss

• Character and Gore: a new interview with effects artist Thomas Foldberg

• The Beauty of Ugly: The Effects of The Ugly Stepsister

• A Cinderella Story: Kat Hughes on The Ugly Stepsister

• Deleted Scene

• Short Films: How Do You Like My Hair? and Sara’s Intimate Confessions

The Limited Edition also includes:

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Ann Bembi

• 120-page book with Cinderella’s Stepsister by Emilie Blichfeldt, storyboard comparisons and new essays by BJ Colangelo, Michelle Kisner, Kimberly Leszak, Jolene Marie Richardson, Katie Rife and Amber T

• Six collectors’ art cards

The Ugly Stepsister is out in a dual format 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on 23 February 2026.