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The Ugly Stepsister

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96%Tomatometer 92 Reviews 86%Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In a twisted take on the classic Cinderella story, 'The Ugly Stepsister' follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister. In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will go to any lengths to catch the Prince's eye. 'The Ugly Stepsister' is the gory tale of the blood and sweat, grit and gold that goes into making Elvira the belle of the ball.
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The Ugly Stepsister

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Taking a hammer and chisel to a quintessential fairy tale, The Ugly Stepsister's masterful application of gore and subversion are the stuff that nightmares are made of.

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Critics Reviews

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Hannah Strong Little White Lies The film’s creative gore alone cannot paper over the ultimate flimsiness of Blichfeldt’s concept, which amounts to an adolescent scrawl of fairytale satire. Rated: 2/5 Apr 25, 2025 Full Review Linda Marric The Sun (UK) A smart, bold, and visually rich work that both enchants and challenges. Rated: 4/5 Apr 25, 2025 Full Review Tara Brady Irish Times The Norwegian writer-director Emilie Blichfeldt roasts conventional heroines and female beauty standards in this gruesome, hilarious reworking of Cinderella. Rated: 4/5 Apr 24, 2025 Full Review James Saynor The Arts Desk Without the need for grue and splurge, amid the galumphing and toppling, we witness the impossibility, and general undesirability, of transforming flesh and blood into weightless, ethereal fantasy. Rated: 3/5 Apr 25, 2025 Full Review Jack Martin Film Feeder Revels in so much twisted body horror and psychological torment that even the Brothers Grimm would cringe with disgust. Rated: 4/5 Apr 24, 2025 Full Review Damon Wise Deadline Hollywood Daily To [director Emilie Blichfeldt’s] credit, she goes all in, and her audaciously militant vision suggests a director whose name is soon to be catnip for actors who like to pester their agents for challenging new projects. Apr 24, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (41) audience reviews
Adrianna wasn't prepared to see a movie that isn't in English. it was really well written, and the acting is amazing. it was nice to see a different pov of the class fairytale that we know as cinderella. Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/26/25 Full Review Elaine W One of the BEST movies of 2025 so far!!!! So creative, unique, fantastical! Loved it!!! Great “Cinderella” adaptation! Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/24/25 Full Review Yue amazing. fans of the substance must see Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/23/25 Full Review Shelbelw Just got back from seeing The Ugly Stepsister and wanted to leave my two cents. No Spoilers. To be honest, this portrays such a female experience from start to finish that I'm not sure how many men are actually going to appreciate this movie. It is exquisitely tragic, beautifully filmed, and the lead actress deserves an Oscar. Her character arc from wide-eyed hopeful innocent to what she turns into is so amazing. The micro expressions on her face show every thought and feeling as if we were in her head. The body horror is good. There was not much the camera pulled away from. And at one point I actually gagged. I'm looking forward to rewatching this to appreciate the journey. Two severed big toes up from this girl. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars04/22/25 Full Review BaileysHorrors on YT Sick and twisted, with beautiful visuals. Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/22/25 Full Review Brandon Martinez Reminded me so much of The Substance, would really recommend it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars04/21/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Ugly Stepsister

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Cast & Crew

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Emilie Blichfeldt

Director

Lea Myren

Elvira

Thea Sofie Loch Næss

Askepott

Ane Dahl Torp

Stepmother

Flo Fagerli

Alma

Isac Calmroth

Prince Julian

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The Ugly Stepsister

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The Ugly Stepsister

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Movie Info

SynopsisIn a twisted take on the classic Cinderella story, 'The Ugly Stepsister' follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister. In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will go to any lengths to catch the Prince's eye. 'The Ugly Stepsister' is the gory tale of the blood and sweat, grit and gold that goes into making Elvira the belle of the ball.
Director
Emilie Blichfeldt
Producer
Maria Ekerhovd
Screenwriter
Emilie Blichfeldt, Emilie Blichfeldt
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Mer Film
Genre
Horror, Comedy
Original Language
Norwegian
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 18, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$174.9K
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.66:1)
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