Horror re-imaginings of classic fairytales are tricky. They usually sound great on paper but often get bogged down by the lack of originality, as many of them simply take the familiar plot and narrative elements of the original and make it somewhat darker. The notable exceptions, such asNeil Jordan’sThe Company of Wolves(1984) orOz Perkins’Gretel and Hansel(2020), tend to stand out precisely becausethey manage to really twist the common tropes inside out(sometimes quite literally).The Ugly Stepsister,a feature debut by a Norwegian writer and director,Emilie Blichfeldt, takes such a twisty approach too, using the bare bones ofthe Cinderella story, some very graphic body horror, and realistic elements of modern female experience todeliver commentary on something very relevant — the beauty standards imposed by societyon women as a form of oppression.
Cinderella’s Stepsister is the Protagonist, and You Can’t Help But Feel for Her — in More Ways Than One
The first thing Blichfeldt’s film does is shift its perspectiveby making Elvira, the “ugly stepsister” of Cinderella (also known as Agnes here) the protagonist. Like so many teenagers in real life, Elvira (Lea Myren) has a lot ofromantic notions as well as many issues with self-image and the perception of her body(the director said she based a lot of those details while writing the script on her own experiences). In typical fashion, she has a crush on her idol — Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth), but happens to be more attracted to the poetry he writes than to his royal status. However, her mother, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torpfrom thefamous disaster movie,The Wave), encourages Elvira to pursue him for reasons that are strictly practical — marriage as a means of financial stability.
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While preparing for the life-changing ball, Elvira is forced to go through a series of grueling procedures to supposedly become a better version of herself, which are reminiscent ofThe Substanceand some ofDavid Cronengberg’s films. But while inCoralie Fargeat’s film or inThe Fly, the gradual transformation and its ending result are shown as monstrous,The Ugly Stepsisterdepicts the very alterations the heroine is subjected to as torturous, horrific, and continuous— the ideal is simply never achieved. While the action is not set in the present (an approach many fairytale retellings often use), but in the 18th century, these procedures are quite familiar. Each one is something that we’ve come to think of as “easy fixes” in contemporary society — a nose job, eyelash extensions, dieting, etc. Andall of them are given their own macabre “makeover”.
The Way to Beauty is Paved with Body Horror in ‘The Ugly Stepsister’
Every alteration Elvira goes through in the course of the film isdepicted in a way that deliberately exposes them as an act of violence, an invasion, or a restriction. The “cage” that the girl has to wear on her face after she undergoes this movie’s version of rhinoplasty is very telling in this sense. This effect isn’t only achieved throughuncompromisingly gory visuals, but also thanks to thesound designthat emphasizes every sickening crunch of bones and cartilage, even when the imagery remains relatively tame. Theelements of body horror are in stark contrast with the general, immensely esthetical style of the film, reminiscent of the likes ofSofia Coppola’sMarie AntoinetteorYorgos Lanthimos’The Favorite. However, that style doesn’t just serve eye-pleasing purposes — all the symmetry and the synchronicity that we see and hear also work toward an oppressive effect inThe Ugly Sister.
The moment that might seem mild at first in comparison to everything else —the swallowing of the tapeworm egg, which Elvira does to help her lose weight — becomes a significant symbol.Like inThe Substance, the scenes involving foodplay an important role inThe Ugly Stepsister, as the process of eating is generally dubbed shameful here, hinting at the topic of eating disorder issues that are especially common among teenagers. But this tapeworm egg, which will eventually lead to much more gruesome imagery, isn’t only significant because it cements the film’s place among othercult horrors that depict the girlhood experience as hell.It also represents the parasitic nature of the imposed societal standardsthat are bound to not only poison the heroine’s body, but also her mind.
Mixing various versions of the Cinderella story, from the perky tale byCharles Perraultto the much darker one penned byBrothers Grimm, also avoids the trend that many modern fairytale renditions like to use:redeeming the supposed villainwhile casting doubts on a spotless image of a former protagonist. Instead, Emilie Blichfeldt’sfilm takes the opportunity to dig into a common staple of such fables in general — the idea of the necessity to be special(i.e.compete against each other and be better than someone else) to get a chance at something good.The real villain inThe Ugly Stepsisteris society itself,with its patriarchal practices intended to control the body as a way to control the mind — symbolized by the figure of the only man in Elvira’s household, her dead stepfather, who is seemingly gone but is still present as the rotting corpse hidden away somewhere in the house.
The Ugly Stepsister
