‘The Ugly Stepsister’ – Dark Fairy Tale Horror Movie Comes to Theaters in April

Fresh off the film’s premiere at Sundance, where it made headlines after making one person in the audience vomit, the Norwegian body horror movie The Ugly Stepsister now has a release date from IFC Films and Shudder. The darkly entertaining fairy tale horror film from Norwegian writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt will release in theaters on April 18, 2025.

A sinister twist on the classic Cinderella story, The Ugly Stepsister follows Elvira (Lea Myren) as she prepares to earn the prince’s affection at any cost.

In a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) to become the belle of the ball.

The Ugly Stepsister marks the feature debut from Norwegian writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt, and stars Lea Myren and Thea Sofie Loch Næss alongside Ane Dahl Torp.

“The Ugly Stepsister turns a classic fairytale inside out with twisted depictions of shocking burlesque body horror at its best,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto. “Emilie Blichfeldt’s first time feature is an astonishing accomplishment and we’re proud to debut her film on Shudder.”

As Meagan explains in her review, “Blichfeldt employs historically accurate medical procedures to great stomach-churning effect, delivering graphic body horror by way of unflinching surgeries and self-harm, all in the name of love. The filmmaker refuses to let her audience look away; each moment of Elvira’s ruthless metamorphosis from an awkward, ugly duckling into a poised stunner is drawn out to an unbearable degree and frequently shot in extreme closeups. Beauty is pain, and The Ugly Stepsister wants you to feel it on a visceral level.”

“It’s elegant, stylish, and gnarly,” Meagan adds in her 4-star review.