Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister is one of the best horror films of the decade so far. While most recent horror fails in story even if it succeeds in craft, Blichfeldt’s script is just as strong as the film’s scares. This is everything I wanted from The Substance, feminist body horror that’s as effective as it is unsubtle. Blichfeldt succeeds by leaning into the pain and violence already present in pre-Disney fairy tales. People are cruel and happily ever after is never guaranteed. This film takes the Cinderella story and turns it into a fable of women upholding patriarchy, hurting each other and themselves for an unworthy prize. It may not say much new, but it says it with a visceral power and a sharp attention to character. I have a pretty strong stomach for violence on-screen and I watched several moments through my fingers. It’s not just the gore — it’s that Blichfeldt and lead actress Lea Myren have given us a protagonist we care about. – Autostraddle

“Slyly funny and visually captivating, its scenes move with ease from gross to gorgeous, and from grotesque to magical.” – New York Times