‘The Ugly Stepsister’ Review: Scary Scandinavian Cinderella Story Puts the ‘Boo’ in ‘Bibbidi Bobbidi’

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In many ways, fairy tales like “Snow White,” “Cinderella,” and “Sleeping Beauty” had been passed down for generations before Walt Disney brought them to life as animated classics. However, their appeal across the globe has overshadowed their original darker stories. Now, Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt offers a stark contrast with her movie “The Ugly Stepsister,” which presents a graphic, grisly version of the classic “Cinderella” tale, filled with broken noses, severed toes, and other gruesome details that would make the Grimm brothers proud.

Debuting in the Midnight segment of the Sundance Film Festival, this visually striking and, in many aspects, enchanting reimagining takes a fresh approach from the Disney playbook: Instead of centering on the traditional damsel-in-distress character, Blichfeldt’s adaptation primarily focuses on one of the story’s well-known villains. This version empathizes with the pig-snouted, somewhat rotund stepsister (portrayed by Lea Myren), who believes she would be a more suitable partner for the bachelor prince’s affection.

Elvira, the young woman, isn’t traditionally considered unattractive – her figure is reminiscent of the fuller-bodied ideals portrayed in Baroque art. However, the artwork by Myren aims to confront and criticize such harmful beauty standards. Therefore, Myren boldly paints a canvas where Elvira undergoes a series of grotesque modifications. In Blichfeldt’s narrative, there’s no magical intervention like a fairy godmother. Instead, both Elivra and Agnes (portrayed by Thea Sofie Loch Næss, a stunningly attractive Scandinavian actress) undergo their transformations in unique ways.

Here, Agnes takes on the role of Cinderella’s antagonist, portrayed as a snobbish and haughty character whose arrogance contradicts her undeniable beauty. She sarcastically remarks to Elvira, her new step-relative, “If it weren’t for the money, Father wouldn’t have allowed someone like you here,” expressing disdain as she forbids Elvira from touching her silver brush and other valuable items. At the same time, innocent Elvira shares with surprise her affection for Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth), who captivates her romantic spirit through his bound book of poetic verses in purple ink.

Occasionally, the movie portrays Elvira’s imagined version of the prince, but reality paints a less appealing picture. Agnes, wise beyond her years, recognizes his shallowness and reserves her affection for Malte Gårdinger, a humble stable boy. Despite finding true love, Agnes’ life is marred by misfortunes. First, she witnesses her father collapsing over dessert. Later, she’s relegated to a servant role, tending to the cows and cleaning the floors. In a more optimistic storyline, such hardships would likely lead to “happily ever after”. However, this tale adopts a more skeptical perspective where such an outcome seems elusive.

In the movie’s depiction, it appears that sincere Elvira might be the more fitting choice for Julian, who has invited numerous young, eligible women from the region to a ball with the intention of selecting his future spouse. Compared to others, Elvira lacks an impressive title or striking beauty that could captivate a prince. Consequently, her mother – also Agnes’ harsh new stepmother (Agnieszka Zulewska) – initiates a transformation process, hiring questionable plastic surgeon Dr. Esthétique (Adam Lundgren) to modify Elvira’s teeth, nose, and eyes.

Thus, the itinerant peddler modifies Elvira’s braces and chisels her nose, shattering and rearranging the girl’s nasal structure (for much of the film, she sports a complex brass device over her face as it mends). However, Elvira — whose love for pastries has given her a plump figure reminiscent of a pear — is primarily concerned with her weight, heeding the questionable guidance of a kindly coach to consume a tapeworm. “You’re transforming your exterior to match what you believe lies within,” Elvira’s admiring guide (Cecilia Forss) smiles — yet enhancing her self-perception appears just as challenging as the body horror portrayed in “The Substance.

In terms of its blend of rich visuals and unconventional humor, “The Ugly Stepsister” echoes the style that art-house enthusiasts admired in the fairy-tale reimaginings of Walerian Borowczyk (“The Beast”) and Juraj Herz (“Beauty and the Beast”). However, it lacks the disturbing misogynistic undertones present in their works. Instead, the characters seemingly embrace the idea that beauty involves suffering, but the filmmaker, Blichfeldt, seems to empathize with the female characters who endure painful surgeries – for instance, when Dr. Esthétique inserts artificial eyelashes into Elvira’s eyes, his sewing needle appears to challenge the camera lens directly.

The director aims to make viewers squirm uncomfortably, but some overly gruesome scenes are so extreme they provoke unintentional laughter. Blichfeldt doesn’t seem to condemn Elvira personally (although her before and after nudity could be seen as a form of humiliation), instead focusing on the harsh work she endures. As the movie progresses, we find ourselves hoping for Elvira’s triumph while secretly wishing her struggles would backfire – a possibility given how her hair falls out in clumps from where once-dainty curls bounced.

As Elvira approaches her objective, her stomach makes rumbling noises, hinting that her tapeworm might still be active. Blichfeldt and their crew pay just as much attention to the wigs, costumes, and stunning set design as they do to the disturbing special effects, resulting in a visually appealing yet often nauseating experience. It’s challenging to find anyone in Agnes’ shabby castle or the surrounding region who is admirable in a film that portrays everyone as self-centered opportunists. Even Agnes, who could potentially earn the movie an X rating due to her explicit extra-curricular activities, displays unattractive behaviors.

By vividly portraying the contrast between her female characters’ feelings and societal pressures on them, Blichfeldt underscores the unfairness of unattainable beauty norms – a truth that applies equally to our everyday lives as well as this warped fantasy realm.

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2025-01-24 09:18