Shocking change of fairy tale: The Ugly Stepsister comes to the cinema!

Shocking change of fairy tale: The Ugly Stepsister comes to the cinema!

Österreich - On July 5, 2025, the horror film "The Ugly Stepsister" celebrates its premiere in Austria. With this feature film debut, director Emilie Bichfeldt provides a captivating adaptation of the classic classic Cinderella, which not only convinces with an eerily mood, but also treats profound topics such as body image and the perception of beauty. According to Krone the film is already considered one of the best horror films of the year.

The plot revolves around Elvira, played by Lea Myren, who suffers from the shadow of her stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss). In order to attract prince Julian (ISAC Calmroth), Elvira dares to take extreme steps. Elements of the body horror are combined with dark humor, which represents a striking demarcation to traditional fairy tale adaptations.

The director's source of inspiration

Emilie Bichfeldt says that she had the story influenced by her own childhood in Norway, where the access to films was restricted. In an interview with Inverse she describes how the feeling of inadequacy that the steps sisters experience in the fairy tale. These emotions flowed into character development and made Elvira an unconventional heroine.

A scene in which Elvira tries is particularly impressive to adapt her feet to the glass shoe size by cutting off your toe - but at the wrong foot. This grotesque transformation is part of the narrative style that Bichfeldt inspired, including directors such as David Cronenberg. The filmmaker carried out 500 auditions to find the right actress for the role of Elvira.

a profound and feminist work

The film combines significant social issues with horror elements. Bichfeldt takes up the topic of patriarchy and the fight of the stepsisters as a victim and thus offers a fresh perspective on a well -known story. In addition to the elements of body horror, there are always connections to feminist questions that combine the entire genre of body changes.

films such as "Nightbitch", which appears in 2024, and "The Substance", which has already been nominated for an Oscar, address similar aspects by merge grotesque changes with feminist under tones, as reported by kino.de . In "Nightbitch" the main character is transformed into a dog, while "The Substance" addresses the desperate attempts from a woman to get back her youth.

for fans of the genre and feminist film, "The Ugly Stepsister" offers an innovative and critical view of beauty ideals and the pressure, which is particularly exposed to women. Interested parties can also take part in the raffle of 5 × 2 cinema tickets, the closing date of which ends on July 5 at 9:00 a.m.