Despite all the buzz surrounding The Ugly Stepsister after its Sundance premiere, nothing quite prepared me for this dark and demented fairytale. Think Cinderella meets The Substance. Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt's assured debut has so many unnerving scenes that aren't easy to forget. So far, this is 2025's best horror movie, a must-see in a theater, if possible.
The film stars Lea Myren in an unforgettable performance as Elvira. She wants nothing more than to woo and marry the strikingly handsome Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth). However, to do so, she needs to compete with several other young women, including her stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss). Elvira's mother, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp), hatches a sadistic plan, pitting the women against each other in hopes the prince will marry one of them so she'll bask in the wealth. Rebekka acts after her husband keels over at the dinner table early in the film, the first jolting sequence of many to come.
Like The Substance, The Ugly Stepsister has so much to say about beauty standards. I'm confident that this movie will spawn countless essays on this very subject and rightfully so. Elvira goes through one torturous process after another to look perfect. This includes ingesting a tapeworm egg and having eyelash extensions sewn into her flesh. Believe me, Blichfeldt doesn't spare the viewer from anything. You see the needle pierce Elvira's skin, and that's only one brutal scene. I definitely believe the story that this film made someone vomit at Sundance.
Yet, Blichfeldt doesn't include these nasty scenes just to gross out the audience. They're in there to show just how far Elvira will go to ascend the social ladder and look pleasing to the prince. She's encouraged by her wicked mother, too. To look better is indeed a painstaking process for Elvira, one that leads to a bonkers ending that's as bold in its statement as The Substance's conclusion.
Blichfeldt's script also deserves praise for its handling of a popular fairytale. The Cinderella role continually reverses between Elvira and Agnes. As one rises, the other falls, and their competition drives the film. While Myren is the film's breakout star, and while Torp makes for one heck of an evil and scheming villain, Næss turns in a notable performance, too. The whole cast is great.
I also can't understate just how darn good this film looks. This includes the pink title card and lavish costume and set designs. This is one visually rich and engrossing film. The fantastical tone never wanes. The Ugly Stepsister will undoubtedly dazzle on the big screen.
The Ugly Stepsister is a must-see and so far, this year's best horror movie, a deliciously dark and twisted spin on the Cinderella story. It's fanciful, stunning, and all kinds of messed up, especially its last act. Blichfeldt has crafted a new body horror classic that feels like the spiritual sister to The Substance. This is a nasty and gnarly feature and one heck of a bold debut.
The Ugly Stepsister opens in theaters in the U.S. on Friday, April 18 and in theaters in the UK on Friday, April 25. It will stream on Shudder at a later date.