Spoilers don’t think this is the Disney version.

Perhaps it’s about time we acknowledge that the brothers Grimm had a bit of a sick mind. And yes, I know that there have been earlier versions. There was always some darkness in every fairy tale before there were cleaned up for the Disney animated versions, and even those versions are considered to have dark symbology here and there. Rather than try to dilute them down, I’m glad someone thought to add some blood and guts back in.

(Credit: Shudder)

The Ugly Stepsister (2025) was written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt. The story is recognizable. Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) has been married and widowed almost in the same scene, and now her daughters Elvira (Lea Myren) and Alma (Flo Fagerli) have a new sister in the beautiful Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss). Elvira can’t help but resent her, as she becomes her mother’s favourite to attract the prize bachelor of the kingdom: Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth). Elvira has been in love with the Prince for a long time, and she’s willing to undergo the most extreme health risks to become beautiful.

This results in Elvira suffering through the roughest medieval equivalents of facial surgery and even willing to make herself sick to lose weight just to fit the homogenized standards of beauty. As hard as it can be to watch, there’s a rather blunt social commentary here that you should see coming a mile away. Elvira manages to catch a break when she discovers Agnes’ secret affair with the stable boy, a scandal which Rebekka punishes by reducing Agnes to a servant girl. Thus, Agnes becomes Cinderella after all. The road seems clear for Elvira to get her Prince. But of course, it’s never that easy.

It does work as a solid critique of the unfair beauty standards that plague young women since the bane of time. It does take its time giving us the slow descent of Elvira into her transformation and mental decay for a dream that exists mostly in her mind. You know from the beginning Elvira is headed for a full mental breakdown. You can’t help but feel for the poor girl, even in her most toxic of choices.

Recommended with some reservations. The horror thematic is mostly anticipation until the blood starts, so it’s a bit of a slow burn till we get some payback. Solid acting by most of the cast and a very decent production make the film feel more like a period piece. Worth a watch for fans of slow burn horror features.

That will do for now.