Who needs glass slippers and fancy carriages when you’ve got tapeworms, hacked off feet, stapled-on eyelashes, and brutal rhinoplasty? Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt took Sundance by storm earlier this year with The Ugly Stepsister (review), a vicious Cinderella satire done in the style of Cronenberg body horror. The film tackles many of the themes Blichfeldt has taken on before, such as impossibly high beauty standards imposed on women, but does it in a way that is sure to give genre fans the gore they’ve been looking for.
This is the Cinderella story, but told with a radical shift in perspective away from the eventual princess and to her less-traditionally beautiful stepsister, Elvira, played by Lea Myren. Pushed by her desperate mother to secure their place financially in the 18th-century kingdom of Swedlandia, Elivira goes to grotesque lengths to transform herself into the object of the prince’s desire. Did I mention tapeworms?
The Ugly Stepsister was the movie of the festival for me, especially since I went in knowing next to nothing. I emerged a huge fan of Blichfeldt and her dark sense of humor. In short, I couldn’t wait to speak with her. Fortunately, I got to spend a few minutes chatting with her about the film, the influence of David Cronenberg, why she chose to make the stepsister the focus, and so much more.
This interview was a real treat, so I hope you check it out and enjoy it! The Ugly Stepsister opens in theaters on April 18th. Go out of your way to see it.
