Cinderella Horror is Here to Ruin Your Childhood!

by

The Ugly Stepsister, one of this year’s most chilling and unsettling horror films, is rapidly gaining popularity on AMC+. Directed and written by Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister reimagines the traditional Brothers Grimm tale known as Aschenputtel, a story that served as the foundation for Disney’s beloved classic Cinderella. However, don’t let the familiar title fool you. Unlike its fairy-tale counterpart, The Ugly Stepsister offers a dark and grim take on the original story that many young girls once fantasized about when seeking their own princes.

This movie hails from Europe, predominantly in Norwegian (so expect some subtitles). It centers around Elvira, a teenage girl who relocates with her mother Rebekka and younger sister Alma to a sprawling countryside estate. Rebekka marries a wealthy nobleman, but he dies shortly after, leaving his daughter Agnes under Rebekka’s care. Elvira harbors dreams of marrying the prince she encounters in poems, yet her stepsister appears to be the favorite. In an attempt to become a suitable bride, Elvira is pushed towards undergoing a physical transformation that will have severe physical and emotional consequences for her. The storyline can be summarized as: Elvira, a teenage girl, moves to a large countryside estate with her family. After her stepfather’s death, she dreams of marrying a prince, but her stepsister stands in the way. To become suitable for the prince, Elvira is forced into a transformative journey that will test both her body and mind.

Struggling with severe financial troubles, the naive and uneasy Elvira gears up for the grand royal ball, where she’ll be vying against her stunning new stepsister to win over the heart and wealth of the dashing prince. Under her mother’s watchful eye, Elvira endures rigorous dance training, undergoes harsh makeover techniques (even those that seem bizarre), but her graceful metamorphosis into a swan-like figure comes at an incredibly painful and revolting cost.

The overarching ambiance of profound dread creates a chilling setting for a narrative that contrasts sharply with the wholesome, family-oriented fairy tale from which the film draws inspiration. The young protagonists reside in a dilapidated mansion shrouded in shadows and blanketed in dust, far from any semblance of sterility. This gritty environment becomes crucial as the plot unfolds into a disturbing exploration of body horror, particularly when Elvira is compelled to embrace whatever means may enhance her appearance. The story takes a grim turn, filled with gruesome imagery and unsettling themes.

At present, this movie has an impressive 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the top-scored horror films of the year. It’s also a captivating horror movie that can be streamed now, as per Bianca Piazza’s review.

In the paradoxical film titled “The Ugly Stepsister,” ugliness is portrayed as beauty. This depiction is harsh, repulsive, discomforting, intensely distressing, and lacking any positive resolution. Numerous articles and analyses have exposed the exploitative aspects of industries that prioritize physical attractance, such as the booming cosmetic surgery sector, which capitalizes on women’s insecurities and perpetuates their feelings of self-hatred and stagnation. This theme is emphasized forcefully by Blichfeldt, as the character Elvira doesn’t experience a traditionally happy ending.

You can watch ‘The Ugly Stepsister’ on Shudder, but if you have an AMC+ account, you can stream their horror movies as well.

‘The Ugly Stepsister’ Is the Best Among the Disney-Inspired Public Domain Horror Movies

In a strange turn of events, a film titled “The Ugly Stepsister” has joined the ranks of recent movies that reimagine classic Disney IPs as contemporary slashers. Many of these films depict once-beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh as cold-blooded killers, leaving audiences shocked. This peculiar trend is set to continue with a cinematic universe dubbed the “Poohniverse,” featuring movies such as “Bambi: The Reckoning“, “Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare“, and “Pinocchio Unstrung“.

Placing “The Ugly Stepsister” next to the previously mentioned films might seem quite inappropriate. While we can appreciate a good slasher movie featuring Disney characters behaving uncharacteristically, Blichfeldt’s film is in a league of its own. “The Ugly Stepsister” is a more realistic portrayal of the classic tale, devoid of gross-out jokes and comedic elements. It’s dark and nihilistic, with few period horror films matching its bleakness. Indeed, it’s serious in tone, unlike many other public domain horror movies that are filled with humor.

The story also raises thought-provoking questions that were seldom addressed following the viewing of the 1950 American animated classic created by Walt Disney. Once a shoe was found, we were expected to disregard everyone else. “The Ugly Stepsister” won’t make you empathize with the other characters, who were overshadowed when the princess and prince lived their fairy-tale life. Instead, “The Ugly Stepsister” invites you to scrutinize the unsightly aspects of the tale that Disney deliberately kept hidden from us.

Read More

2025-05-21 19:06