- Release year: 2025
- Director: Emilie Blichfeldt.
- Producer: Maria Ekerhovd.
- Screenplay by: Emilie Blichfeldt.
- Cinematography by: Marcel Zyskind.
- Music by: John Erik Kaada and Vilde Tuv.
Synopsis: a girl is pressured to go to extremes in order to attract the attention of a man, while also comparing herself obsessively with her stepsister, Cinderella.
Shotgun Commentary: finally someone acknowledges the real message in Cinderella.
Review
The Ugly Stepsister brings a brand-new perspective of the Disney classic Cinderella (1950). One that gets way closer to its original source. The Grimm Brothers collected and wrote down this story, along with tons of other folklore, that would’ve otherwise been lost to the passing of time. In this new spin, the tale focuses on the real lesson to be learnt from the legend. Thankfully, leaving behind the sexist 50s message of “be quiet and wait for your prince to rescue you”.
The horrors of being a commodity
The feature focuses completely on Cinderella’s older stepsister Elvira (Lea Myren). A girl who has been told she’s ugly by everyone who knows her from a very young age. Everyone but her younger sister, that is. But, who listens to their younger sister anyway? As a result, she is convinced that she must change herself in order to achieve her goal: marry the prince of the land. A man she knows nothing about, except for a book of poetry, supposedly written by him. A publication she carries around like a Bible. And, much like tons of believers, she also doesn’t understand most of the meaning behind its content.
Putting it plainly, this is the descent into madness of a girl trying to fix a problem she did not have in the first place. The cold reality behind the story reminds greatly of other mainstream content with similar thematic, such as To the Bone (2017) or Insatiable (2018-2019). All products with a strong female perspective and a complete lack of male gaze. Which results in blunt messages that expose the realities women suffer regarding their bodies as a result of society’s expectations.
Men are not the only ones who objectify women, women do it to others and themselves too. This phenomenon is the result of the mainstream content being generally created for the male gaze, which teaches children of any gender to adopt this gaze. Content like this movie help balance the scales and, hopefully, create a less sexist future. Or, at the very least, provides a crucial respite from all the male-gaze-coded content audiences usually consume.
A fascinating dynamic
I know what you’re thinking, “Is Cinderella in this thing at all?”, and the answer is yes, yes she is. Played by Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Cinderella is first introduced to us as Agnes, well, an infinite name starting with Agnes, anyway. Næss delivers a great performance, making Cinderella far from perfect, but a clearly good person nonetheless. She feels jealousy, rage and desire. She is driven and proud. In conclusion, she is a real woman and not just a stereotype created for men to keep women acting like decor.
At first, one expects her relationship with Elvira to be one of hatred or mindless abuse, much like it was in the Disney movie and all other versions after it. However, this piece dares to explore further than that. Sure, you get your fair share of disrespect and betrayal, but it is presented, for the first time, in a way you can understand instead of the usual pointless evil. Don’t get too excited though, it won’t make up anything new, but it does present the characters and their circumstances in a more sensible way than ever before.
All in all, The Ugly Stepsister is the type of Disney remake that Disney should be doing. Along with The Lure (2015), it is the best adaptation of a Disney princess story ever made. A tale of survival, obsession, betrayal, and impossible standards. A reality that, minus the rotting corpse in the living room, has been lived and still is by tons of women around the world. The perfect moral for an expertly crafted fable.
Thanks to SHUDDER for early access! The Ugly Stepsister is now available on SHUDDER.
The Ugly Stepsister is now screening at Leiden International Film Festival in the Netherlands! Screenings on October the 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th. Find all the info here!
Advice to take from this movie:
- No man is worth changing yourself for.
- Sometimes your parents don’t have your best interests in mind but their own goals.
- If you want to do a Disney princess remake, turn to the original source.
What’s your take? Have you watched The Ugly Stepsister? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀