I want you to imagine me sitting in one of the smallest theaters inside the IFC Center in New York City. There are fewer than a dozen people in the theater, including my boyfriend and me. As we settled in (I decided not to buy any snacks, but I made sure I’d have an emotional support Diet Coke), my boyfriend took one last look around the theater, leaned towards me, and said, “I’m surprised this isn’t playing at Regal. That probably means this movie is really gnarly.”

Before I continue, I want you to guess which movie I saw. Here’s a hint: it’s based on a fairy tale. Here’s another hint: it’s Norwegian. Stumped? I’ll give you one more: you probably saw an edit of it on TikTok set to a Coco & Clair Clair song. Or this one, set to a Mitski song. 

If you guessed The Ugly Stepsister, then you’re right. Our Editorial Director loved this “twisted” retelling of the classic fairy tale here at Dread Central, and even though I wasn’t ready for the sheer amount of maggots, broken noses, and gore, it’s one of my favorite movies of the year. And I have good news: it’s available to watch now on AMC+, Philo, Apple TV, and Shudder. 

I know we’re a little tired of fairy tale retellings (I blame Disney), but The Ugly Stepsister actually offers something different compared to something like The Death of Snow White (you can find my review here).

The Ugly Stepsister is mostly faithful to the original Cinderella story, but in this version, Elvira (Lea Myren), the eldest of Cinderella’s—er, Agnes’s—stepsisters, is the main character. Elvira is a dreamy, slightly awkward but lovable young girl who dreams of marrying the Prince in order to save her debt-ridden family. However, it seems like Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) might be the Prince’s type. Elvira’s mother, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp), decides that for her daughter to have a chance, she must subject her to a series of increasingly painful cosmetic surgeries while Agnes is forced to cook, clean, and sleep in the same room as her father’s rotting corpse. But as Elvira becomes more and more beautiful, she begins to lose the most important parts of herself—literally. 

Watch the trailer below:

What I love most about The Ugly Stepsister is that it refuses the very corny Dove-soap-commercial-style feminism of “beauty comes from within” or “believe in yourself.” The Ugly Stepsister takes the issue of beauty seriously—what it costs, what it means, how far someone is willing to go for it. In doing so, it feels more honest than something like The Substance (which is a hot take, I know). 

So if you enjoy dark fairy tales, give The Ugly Stepsister a try. And as always, if you love it, let me know: @ashjenexi on Instagram and X.

Categorized: News