In the marketing material for the Nordic horror film The Ugly Stepsister, the first thing you see is "Bridgerton meets The Substance." There's no better way to describe this body horror, which, beneath all the gore, reflects the remarkable reality of beauty standards. If you can tell from the title (somehow, it didn't catch my attention), the film puts a twist on the fairy-tale Cinderella by giving us the point of view of the "ugly" stepsister.
All Elvira has ever dreamed of is marrying the virginal, weakling Prince Julian. When her mother remarries, Elvira and her family move into her new stepfather's house, which they will share with the more beautiful stepsister. But on the very day of the wedding, her stepfather dies, and the women are left with nothing, because the man was broke and not the wealthy dream Elvira's mother imagined him to be. When Elvira and her stepsister Agnes are invited to the royal ball, Elvira sets out to dance with the prince and drive him crazy for her.
Director: Emilie Blichfeldt
Writer: Emilie Blichfeldt
Stars: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp
At the beginning of the film, Elvira is an innocent and naive young woman with big dreams and a bright eye. But, over time, she discovers that she is what would be considered "ugly" and that she needs to change to be accepted by society. The film argues that those who made the stepsister truly "ugly"—that is, a terrible person for Cinderella—are those she always aspired to be close to, and that there is no inherent evil in Elvira. In fact, it could be said that she is inherently good and is tainted not only by the standards of beauty the world imposes on her, but also by a "monster" that I won't talk about for fear of revealing details.
The real lesson I learned from The Ugly Stepsister is that films like this could be shaping the future of feminist horror, and I'm not entirely sure they're on the right track. While it's not lost on me that films like this and The Substance show us the terrifying reality of being "objects" of desire, they also reinforce the idea of "ugliness" by depicting the natural human body in the most vile and disgusting ways. Rather than inducing true horror, the feeling it leaves you with is more one of disgust than anything else. In this film, there's a particular scene where Elvira looks in the mirror, realizes she's "worthless," then grabs a cinnamon roll from her drawer and devours it while we see her bare belly rolls. Having to endure that might be worse than seeing so much blood shed in this film (which, honestly, is a lot). While I understand the contradictory feeling the film aims to evoke in this situation, I think it works the other way around, making the viewer uncomfortable about what could be their own everyday experiences.
But this doesn't mean it's unwatchable and will leave a bad impression. It's simply where I'm going. That said, if you like gory body horror, this film might be your favorite of the year. From eyes to toes, there isn't a single body part that hasn't been exploited in The Ugly Sister, and honestly, I'd be very surprised if you didn't react visibly or audibly to this film. If so, you're a mess. The eye scene, in particular, made me look away from the screen and hide under my shirt. The blood is unnecessary, shocking, and very disgusting. Also, if you have scoleciphobia, please don't watch The Ugly Sister. This isn't just a warning; it's a public service announcement.
The cinematography in this film is fantastic, and it will give you chills, drive you crazy, or just want to scream when you look at the screen. Paired with the soundtrack, the film truly elevates itself from "fairy tale horror" to a truly fantastic horror film. The soundtrack is enigmatic and very unsettling. The disturbing scenes, in particular, are almost beautifully shot, which makes them even harder to digest. I had some trouble with the subtitles, but even without fully understanding the dialogue, the story is very easy to understand, and from the visuals alone, you can figure out what's happening pretty quickly. Like a fairy tale, you know? But now, let's talk about this film's real strength: the performances.
Everyone, from the mother to the dance teacher, is incredible in The Ugly Sister, and it's the performances that elevate this film from merely good to absolutely fantastic. Thea Sofie Loch Naess has a low-key role as Agnes and, as you can imagine, is very restrained as Cinderella. Her demeanor is demure, but her expressions show us how she really feels. Agnes isn't just a daddy's girl who can't lead an independent life. In contrast, Elvira is a much more lively character and has many ups and downs throughout the film.
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