There are multiple exciting horror movies still to come this March, but April is also starting to look like another fantastic month for the genre with films like Drop already receiving praise and an official theatrical release date for the fairytale body horror movie The Ugly Stepsister.
1428 Elm has learned The Ugly Stepsister will begin playing in select theaters on April 18. Marking the directorial debut of writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister premiered at this year's Sundance Festival and apparently included some scenes so disturbing, someone vomited during the screening.
What made them get sick? Well, The Ugly Stepsister is a horror take on the classic tale of Cinderella. The lead character, Elvira (Lea Myren), is determined to win the prince's favor and she'll do anything to do it, including undergoing some truly brutal cosmetic procedures. Among them include a rough rhinoplasty, a scene where the protagonist eats a tapeworm, and one involving a woman getting eyelashes sewn into her lids. And I'm sure that's not even scratching the surface of everything that happens in the film.
On the heels of last year's Oscar-nominated film The Substance, it seems that body horror is all the rage. It's fairly obvious why female filmmakers are interested in making movies about women losing their autonomy and the horrors of the cosmetic industry right now.
Critics have called this new movie an "extreme" take on Cinderella and a movie that feels like "The Substance for Disney Adults," all of which has further enticed me to see this movie as soon as it becomes available in theaters near me.
The Ugly Stepsister received significant praise during its debut at Sundance and the Berlin International Film Festival. IFC Films and Shudder are distributing the movie, which is great because that means it will also be available to stream on Shudder and AMC+ at some point later this year.
The Ugly Stepsister is a Norwegian horror movie coming to theaters starting on April 18, 2025. Stay tuned to 1428 Elm for more news and updates on all things horror.