The Ugly Stepsister (2025) by Emilie Blichfeldt

“The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) is a 105-minute Norwegian film directed and written by Emilie Blichfeldt. It blends the genres of Comedy, Drama, and Horror, offering a dark and comedic reimagining of the Cinderella story from the perspective of an “ugly stepsister.” It marks Emilie Blichfeldt’s directorial debut.

“The Ugly Stepsister” follows Elvira as she navigates a world obsessed with beauty and fiercely competes with her “gorgeous stepsister.” In this realm where physical perfection is paramount, Elvira becomes desperate to win the affections of the prince. The film depicts her descent into extreme measures as she engages in a ruthless competition to achieve conventional beauty standards and captivate the prince. The narrative is set to explore the dark side of beauty obsession, sibling rivalry taken to an extreme, and the horror that can emerge from the pressure to conform to superficial ideals. It promises a twisted and darkly comedic take on the classic fairy tale, focusing on Elvira’s desperate and increasingly disturbing actions.

Director Emilie Blichfeldt’s vision for “The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) is to create a genre-bending film that subverts the traditional Cinderella narrative by exploring its darker, comedic, and horrific undertones. As writer and director, Blichfeldt aims to use the fairy tale framework to critique contemporary beauty standards and the extreme pressures they exert, particularly on women. Her vision likely involves blending dark humor with elements of horror and drama to create a visually striking and unsettling film that challenges audiences to reconsider simplistic notions of beauty and “happily ever after.” Blichfeldt’s direction is expected to emphasize a unique visual style, strong performances, and a darkly satirical tone to deliver a memorable and thought-provoking cinematic experience.

• Obsession with Beauty and Physical Perfection: The central theme is the extreme and often horrifying consequences of society’s obsession with beauty, exploring a world “where beauty reigns supreme” and the ruthless competition it breeds.

• Subversion of Fairy Tale Tropes: The film directly challenges and subverts the classic Cinderella fairy tale, flipping the narrative to center on the “ugly stepsister” and deconstructing traditional notions of beauty and romance.

• Sibling Rivalry and Extreme Competition: Sibling rivalry is taken to a dark and exaggerated extreme, depicting a “ruthless competition for physical perfection” and the desperate measures it drives Elvira to.

• Horror of Beauty Standards: By incorporating horror elements, the film likely aims to expose the terrifying and grotesque aspects of relentless pursuit of beauty and the psychological toll it takes.

• Dark Comedy and Satire: The blend of comedy with drama and horror suggests a darkly satirical tone, using humor to critique societal pressures and the absurdity of beauty obsession.

• Extreme Measures and Desperation: The film explores the theme of desperation and the extreme, potentially disturbing, actions people might take when driven by societal pressures and personal insecurities.

• Genre-Bending and Original Concept: The film’s success hinges on its ability to effectively blend comedy, drama, and horror within a fairy tale framework, offering a truly original and memorable cinematic experience.

• Strong Central Performance as Elvira: A compelling and nuanced performance in the lead role of Elvira is crucial to convey her descent into desperation and make her both disturbing and, perhaps, sympathetic.

• Emilie Blichfeldt’s Distinctive Direction: Blichfeldt’s directorial style in creating a visually striking, tonally balanced, and thematically resonant film will be a key factor in its impact.

• Effective Marketing as a Twisted Fairy Tale: Successfully marketing the film as a unique and darkly comedic/horrific take on Cinderella will be essential to attract the target audience.

• Balance of Humor, Horror, and Drama: The film’s ability to effectively balance these genres and create a cohesive and impactful narrative will determine its critical and audience reception.

“The Ugly Stepsister” (2025), directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, is a 105-minute Norwegian comedy-drama-horror film that reimagines Cinderella from the stepsister’s perspective, depicting a dark and twisted world where beauty obsession drives extreme competition and horrific consequences.

Critics’ reception for “The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) is mixed to positive, with many praising its originality and genre-bending approach, but some noting unevenness in its execution.

• Variety: Variety’s review acknowledges the film’s boldness and originality in subverting the Cinderella fairy tale, highlighting its dark humor and horror elements. However, the review also suggests that the film’s tonal shifts and genre blending may not fully coalesce for all viewers, resulting in a somewhat uneven experience.

• Screen Daily: Screen Daily’s review emphasizes the film’s unique vision and Emilie Blichfeldt’s distinctive directorial style. They commend the film for its visual creativity and its willingness to push boundaries within the fairy tale genre. However, like Variety, Screen Daily also points out that the film’s genre mashup might be divisive, with some viewers finding it more successful than others.

• Overall Summary: Overall, critics recognize “The Ugly Stepsister” for its ambition and originality in reimagining Cinderella as a dark comedy-horror. The film is praised for its visual style and bold genre experimentation. However, the mixed reception stems from the film’s potentially uneven tone and genre blending, which some critics find less cohesive or fully realized. The critical consensus suggests a film that is intriguing and innovative but not without its flaws, likely to appeal to audiences open to unconventional and genre-subverting cinema.

Reviews About Movie Online

Online reviews for “The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) are also mixed to positive, reflecting the critical sentiment, with genre fans showing particular enthusiasm.

• IMDb User Reviews: IMDb shows a user rating of 6.3 out of 10, based on 144 ratings. This rating indicates a generally favorable but not overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience response. A 6.3 rating suggests that viewers are finding the film somewhat divisive, with a range of opinions.

• Letterboxd: On Letterboxd, a film discovery and review platform popular with cinephiles, “The Ugly Stepsister” has a more positive average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on over 500 ratings. This higher rating on Letterboxd, compared to IMDb, suggests that the film is resonating more strongly with genre film enthusiasts and cinephiles who appreciate unconventional and boundary-pushing cinema.

• Shudder Streaming Platform: As the film is distributed by Shudder, reviews and discussions are likely to be found on social media and online forums frequented by horror and genre film fans. Searching platforms like Twitter/X, Reddit’s r/horror, and genre-specific forums could reveal audience reactions, particularly after its streaming release on Shudder.

• Overall Sentiment: Online sentiment appears to be mixed but with a notable positive leaning, especially within genre film circles.  Viewers seem to appreciate the film’s originality and dark humor, aligning with the positive aspects noted by critics. However, like the critical reception, some online reviews may also reflect the mixed feelings about the film’s genre blending and tonal shifts. Genre fans and viewers seeking unconventional cinema are more likely to respond positively, while those expecting a more traditional fairy tale or a more consistently toned film may be less enthusiastic.

“The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) is directed and written by Emilie Blichfeldt, produced by Maria Ekerhovd, with music composed by John Erik Kaada, cinematography by Marcel Zyskind, editing by Olivia Neergaard-Holm, casting direction by Luise Nes, Milosz Sawicki, and Catrin Wideryd, and production design by Sabine Hviid. The film is a co-production involving companies from Norway, Poland, and Denmark, reflecting international collaborations common in European independent cinema. It was filmed using Arri Alexa 35 cameras with various lenses to achieve its visual style.

• Shudder (USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand – VOD) Shudder

• Capelight Pictures (Germany, Austria – Theatrical)

• Scanbox Entertainment (Norway – Theatrical)

• Inoekino (Russia – Theatrical)

• ADS Service (Hungary – All Media) ADS Service

• Beta Films (Spain – All Media)

• Cay Films (Romania – All Media)

• ESC Films (France – All Media)

• House of M (Thailand – All Media)

• Lev Cinemas (Israel – All Media)

• New Select (Japan – All Media)

• PT Falcon (Indonesia – All Media)

• Vendetta Filmes (Portugal – All Media)

Release Date on Streaming

“The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) is scheduled for VOD release on Shudder in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand in 2025. Specific streaming release dates are not yet available. Shudder

• United States: January 23, 2025 (Sundance Film Festival premiere)

• Germany: February 16, 2025 (Berlin International Film Festival), June 5, 2025 (General Release)

• Norway: March 7, 2025

• Spain: October 10, 2025

The film has had festival premieres in the US and Germany, with theatrical releases in Norway and planned releases in Germany and Spain.

Why to Recommend This Movie

• Unique Genre Blend: Appeals to viewers who enjoy genre-bending films that mix comedy, drama, and horror in unexpected ways.

• Darkly Comedic Fairy Tale Reimagining: Offers a fresh and twisted take on the Cinderella story, subverting familiar tropes with dark humor.

• Critique of Beauty Obsession: Explores relevant social themes related to beauty standards and the pressures of physical perfection in a visually striking and unsettling manner.

• Directed by Promising New Voice: Marks the directorial debut of Emilie Blichfeldt, suggesting a potentially fresh and distinctive filmmaking style.

• International Co-production: Represents contemporary European independent cinema, with international production values and a diverse creative team.

Why You Should Watch Movie

• If you enjoy dark comedies with a horror twist: “The Ugly Stepsister” promises a unique blend of genres.

• If you are fascinated by fairy tale reimaginings: This film offers a subversive and unconventional take on Cinderella.

• If you appreciate films that critique social issues through satire: The movie tackles beauty obsession with a darkly comedic and potentially horrific lens.

• If you are seeking out original and genre-bending independent films: “The Ugly Stepsister” is positioned as a distinctive and unconventional cinematic experience.

• If you are a fan of visually striking and thought-provoking cinema: The film aims to be both visually interesting and thematically rich.

What Movie Trend Film Is Following

• Dark Fairy Tale Reimagining: “The Ugly Stepsister” aligns with the trend of dark and subversive fairy tale reimaginings in film, offering a more adult and often horror-infused take on classic stories.

• Genre-Bending Horror Comedy: It participates in the growing trend of horror-comedy films that blend scares with humor and social satire, appealing to audiences seeking genre innovation.

• Independent and Art-House Horror: As a European co-production with festival premieres and distribution through Shudder, it fits within the trend of independent and art-house horror that prioritizes originality and thematic depth over mainstream horror tropes.

What Big Social Trend Is Following

• Critique of Unrealistic Beauty Standards: The film taps into a significant social trend of critiquing unrealistic and harmful beauty standards, particularly as amplified by social media and popular culture.

• Exploration of Toxic Competition: It reflects a growing social awareness of the negative impacts of hyper-competitiveness and the pressures to constantly compare oneself to others, especially in appearance-driven contexts.

• Desire for Subversion and Re-evaluation of Classics: The film aligns with a broader social trend of re-examining and subverting classic narratives and archetypes, questioning traditional values and perspectives in familiar stories.

“The Ugly Stepsister” (2025) by Emilie Blichfeldt is a potentially striking and original genre-bending film that offers a darkly comedic and horrific reimagining of Cinderella from the stepsister’s perspective. Its strengths are anticipated to lie in its unique concept, genre fusion, satirical critique of beauty obsession, and Blichfeldt’s distinctive directorial vision. Recommended for viewers who appreciate dark comedies, horror with a satirical edge, fairy tale subversions, and independent films that push genre boundaries and explore relevant social themes in unconventional ways. As reviews and audience reactions emerge following its festival run and wider release, “The Ugly Stepsister” has the potential to become a cult favorite for those seeking a twisted and thought-provoking cinematic experience.