Norwegian horror fable The Ugly Stepsister has debuted with a near-perfect score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Fresh off its Sundance Film Festival premiere, the movie from first-time filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt earned a critics' rating of 96% from 28 reviews at the time of writing.
A gorier take on the original Cinderella story by the Grimm Brothers, the grotesque movie takes aim at the unattainable standards of female beauty through the story of Elvira (Lea Myren), the titular stepsister who's willing to go to gross, hyper-graphic lengths to appeal to the prince.
Related: Ayo Edebiri's new horror movie gets unsettling first trailer
Scheduled for release in Norway in March, The Ugly Stepsister has found a streaming home on Shudder, which acquired the distribution rights for the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Ahead of the film hitting screens on a wider release, let's have a look at what critics at Sundance made of this medieval play on The Substance.
What to Read Next
Bloody Disgusting
"Instead of whimsical romance set in the Renaissance, Blichfeldt gets graphic with the medieval torture women endure in their pursuit of happily ever after. It's elegant, stylish, and gnarly."
The Hollywood Reporter
"Blichfedlt's aesthetic ambition — hyper-pop prevails here — and a committed performance from Lea Myren as the titular stepsister help enliven a film that, at times, is weighed down by its more farcical antics."
RogerEbert.com
"With her wonderfully expressive eyes, Myren is a revelation here, carefully maintaining the entire tone of the piece with Blichfeldt."
AV Club
"An impressively nasty first feature from Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt, this is a grimmer than Grimm take on Cinderella."
IGN Movies
"Its point of view is specific to its teenage protagonist, which limits its emotional range. But it's effective as a grotesque spectacle."
Related: Theo James's horror movie compared to Final Destination in rave first reactions
Variety
"Contrasting how her female characters feel with the expectations men put on them, Blichfeldt makes clear that impossible beauty standards are the unfairest of them all, whether in the real world or this twisted fictional kingdom."
Collider
"While The Ugly Stepsister isn't perfect — there are a few loose ends that Blichfeldt does not tie up well — it's a horrific, grotesque, and superb debut feature that nails its message."
Screen International
"The film ends up succeeding better as a stylish, graphic fairytale riff than as a thoughtful exploration of the rigid definitions of female beauty."
IndieWire
"While The Ugly Stepsister doesn't go much deeper than Dr. Esthetique's scalpel, the brazenly grotesque surface of the piece might just be deep enough."
TheWrap
"The craft ensures the film succeeds at not just getting under the skin, but taking up residence there, burrowing right to the beating heart of the story and coming away with a pound of flesh."
The Ugly Stepsister will release on Shudder at a later date.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
