The Ugly Stepsister might be a bit "on the nose" (pun intended) with its beauty-standards critique wrapped up in a retelling of Cinderella, but it remains rather darkly fun and sharply disturbing in its campy, lush style. The film would have been too much if it had leaned more serious instead of erring on the side of satire. The mutilation of a young woman to fit into an idea of what is attractive is a horrendously upsetting, although far too realistic situation, so presented here as (very adult) fairy tale makes it a film we can experience and a point we can take.
The film sticks to its Cinderella roots quite closely, plot point to plot point, reframing the fairy tale to be from the step-sister's point of view. It is remarkable how little the film needs to change the story to make its point. Cinderella herself doesn't have to become a villain, and the Step-Mother remains nefarious, and we can see how the pitting of women against each other destroys them. The film manages to comment so much on our real world societal structures while managing to retell the myth rather closely to its roots.
Still, The Ugly Stepsister remains an unpleasant watch. Those desensitized by films like The Substance or Titane won't see anything they haven't already, but the film does't cut corners (again pun intended IYKYK) on the gore and gruesomeness. The fantasy element of this helps make it a bit more palatable, and the camp lets us laugh a bit. This is a bold film that will challenge its audience while entertaining us.
The Ugly Stepsister/Den Stygge Stesøsteren
Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp
Writer/Director: Emilie Blichfeldt
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