THE UGLY STEPSISTER: IFC Films And Shudder Announce Theatrical Date For Dark Satire Fantasy Horror

Elvira battles against her gorgeous stepsister in a realm where beauty reigns supreme. She resorts to extreme measures to captivate the prince, amidst a ruthless competition for physical perfection.

Reminiscent of Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) and her Oscar-nominated horror satire, The Substance, The Ugly Stepsister leans hard, possibly too hard for the easily revolted or repulsed, into Cronenbergian body horror. By turns gross, grotesque, and utterly disgusting, The Ugly Stepsister certainly makes (and leaves) a long-lasting, possibly permanent impression, the work of a bold, fearless filmmaker, willing to explore the darkest, grimmest, and goriest aspects of physical beauty, what it means, how it’s for, and how it’s weaponized against women. Whatever Blichfeldt writes and directs next belongs at or near the top of any must-see list. 

IFC Films and Shudder are proud to present THE UGLY STEPSISTER, a darkly entertaining fairy tale horror from writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt in her feature directorial debut. The film gathered acclaim at its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and at the Berlin International Film Festival. IFC Films and Shudder will release the film theatrically on April 18th.

 

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.

 

A biting satire and cinematically exhilarating directorial debut, THE UGLY STEPSISTER is a timely examination of body image and beauty standards, identifying Emilie Blichfeldt as one of the most exciting new international filmmaking voices.