…………………………………………………

The Ugly Stepsister Movie Review

The Ugly Stepsister is a 2025 Norwegian body horror film directed by Emilie Blichfeldt and starring Lea Myren in the main role. It’s a disappointing movie.

Elvira dreams of the weak-kneed virgin, Prince Julian, and is willing to go to great lengths to conform to the kingdom’s ideals of beauty. This is a modern, feminist and genre twist on the fairy tale Cinderella, seen from her stepsister’s point of view. Instantly, this movie brings to mind ‘The Substance’, but it simply cannot compare to that movie’s thrills and imagination.

………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………..

My main issue with this film is its overwhelming gore and a lack of purpose. The message is sound and clear, but the movie did not properly deal with its themes, instead focusing on gory scenarios that never end. Some of these moments were pleasantly diabolical and deranged, but most of them went on for too long and were done in poor taste. It’s a grotesque viewing experience and not in a good way.

The acting is uniformly strong, especially the performance of Lea Myren. A lot is asked from her in a very physical role and she did deliver. The other two actresses were also effective in their roles, but the problem here is that the character development is beyond slight. Couple that with how unlikable these girls are and I could not empathize with any one of them at all.

The Ugly Stepsister is only worth seeing for its technical aspects, which are fabulous. This is a very Gothic and atmospheric take on this often adapted fairy tale with gorgeous sets, beautiful costumes and an exquisite attention to detail. The movie has a look and feel to it that was actually quite authentic. I just wished that the plot was better and that the movie was less repetitive and more sophisticated.

………………………………………………….