A lot of children’s stories and fairy tales are getting the horror treatment these days – but fairy tale-inspired horror comedy that we’re hearing some very positive buzz about is director Emilie Blichfeldt’s feature debut The Ugly Stepsister. In fact, after seeing the film at the Sundance Film Festival, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray gave it an 8/10 review that you can read at THIS LINK. We don’t know when the film is going to receive a wider release in North America (it will be in UK cinemas as of April 25), but a trailer has made its way online and can be seen in the embed above.
The Ugly Stepsister is said to be a gory, daring, and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira. The story follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.
Blichfeldt told Variety that she “immediately identified (with Elvira) after rediscovering the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella in which the stepsister cuts off her toes to make the shoe fit. With this ‘beauty horror’ I want to seduce the audience into a ‘girl-dreaming-of-marrying-the-prince-fairytale’, before revealing its true and raw insides. It’s time the ugly stepsister’s story is lifted from the shadows of Cinderella, and cultivated as the iconic feminist narrative of the tyranny of beauty that it is.“
Newcomer Lea Myren makes her feature acting debut as Elvira, sharing the screen with Thea Sofie Loch Naess (The Last Kingdom) and Ane Dahl Torp (The Wave).
A statement provided by Memento International, which presented the project to potential distributors at the upcoming Cannes Film Market last year, said Blichfeldt’s “unique take on the classic we all know is equally funny, bold, shocking and destined to be cult for a generation. It is highly contemporary in its exploration of what one is willing to do to meet society’s imposed beauty standards on women. Emilie is finally giving a voice to the underdog in a very entertaining way, allowing audiences worldwide to connect with her.“ The Ugly Stepsister secured a distribution deal with the Shudder streaming service.
What did you think of the trailer for The Ugly Stepsister? Are you looking forward to seeing this film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
