The Ugly Stepsister

The Ugly Stepsister is an unexpected take on the classic Cinderella story, told from the perspective of the stepsister. In a fairy-tale kingdom with cruel beauty standards, Elvira desperately tries to compete with her stunning stepsister Agnes. A ball is soon to be held at the nearby castle, where Prince Julian will choose his future wife, just like in the fairy tale. 

Elvira dreams of winning the prince's heart and is willing to go to extreme lengths. Encouraged by her selfish mother, she undergoes bizarre cosmetic procedures, including braces, eyelash correction and a bloody nose prosthesis - and that's not the worst of it... The Ugly Stepsister is an extravagant body horror film that uses lavish design, black humour and a healthy dose of cynicism to hold up a mirror to a misogynistic society and the toxic pursuit of contemporary beauty ideals.

The Ugly Stepsister is the feature film debut of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt and premiered in January this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it opened the Midnight Section. Its first European screening was in February at the 75th Berlinale, where it was selected for the Panorama section. It is the first film role for Lea Myren, who plays Elvira, which she does without any restraint.