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, one of the year's most impactful and disturbing horror movies, is climbing up the streaming charts on AMC+. Written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister offers a spin on the Brothers Grimm tale originally titled Aschenputtel, which became the inspiration for Disney's Cinderella. Nevertheless, there's nothing reminiscent of a fairy tale in The Ugly Stepsister. On the contrary, the period horror gem offers a macabre twist on the classic story that made millions of girls dream of finding the right prince.

The film is a European import, mostly in Norwegian (you will have to read subtitles). It follows young Elvira, a teenager who moves with her mother Rebekka and her sister Alma to a huge manor in the countryside. Rebekka marries the wealthy lord, but he passes away soon, leaving the man's daughter Agnes in the care of her stepmother. Elvira dreams of marrying the prince she reads about in poems, but her stepsister is the front-runner. In order to become the potential bride, Elvira is forced to seek a physical transformation that will take a physical and emotional toll on her. The official plot synopsis reads as follows:

"Facing desperate financial straits, wide-eyed and awkward Elvira prepares for the royal ball, where she must compete with her beautiful new stepsister to capture the attention and riches of the handsome prince. Under her mother’s direction, Elvira subjects herself to dancing lessons, primitive plastic surgery, and much, much worse, but her swan-like transformation comes at a devastating (and disgusting) price."

The atmosphere of absolute dread works as a perfect backdrop for a story that is the opposite of the family-friendly fairy tale that the film is inspired by. The girls are raised in a derelict mansion where light is occasional, and dust covers everything. It feels anything but sterile, which is an aspect to consider because the film becomes a body horror movie when Elvira is forced to accept anything that can help improve her looks. Things get… gruesome.

Currently boasting a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it is one of the highest-rated horror films of the year, and one of the most interesting scary movies currently available on streaming. Per our own Bianca Piazza's review of the film:

In the nightmarish oxymoron of The Ugly Stepsister film, beauty is ugly. It's clinical, sickening, horrid, excruciatingly painful, and devoid of payoff. ​​There are countless think pieces and essays on the exploitative nature of beauty-centric industries, including the thriving plastic surgery market, detailing how they feed on female insecurities and keep women in a state of self-loathing stagnancy. It's a point Blichfeldt hits home with little subtlety, as Elvira doesn't get a particularly happy ending.

The Ugly Stepsister joins a group of recent movies which have followed a trend to adapt classic Disney IPs into modern slashers. Most of them portray a classic animated character as a wicked killer, meaning that we've seen Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh slice and dice helpless victims. This bizarre trend includes plans to continue these kinds of adaptations with a cinematic universe known as the Poohniverse, which will include movies like Bambi: The Reckoning, Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare and Pinocchio Unstrung.

However, it would be almost offensive to put The Ugly Stepsister beside the previously mentioned movies. Not that we can't enjoy an occasional slasher fest showing Disney's beloved creatures going haywire, but Blichfeldt's movie is simply incomparable. The Ugly Stepsister is a more grounded adaptation of the classic tale, without the gross-out gags and comedy touches. It's bleak and nihilistic like few period horror films are. And yes, it does take itself seriously, whereas the other public domain horror movies have plenty of humor.

It also asks the important questions that no one dared to ask after watching the 1950 American animated icon made by Walt Disney. Once the shoe fit, we were supposed to forget about everyone else. The Ugly Stepsister won't make you care about the other characters, the ones that became secondary when the princess and the prince lived happily ever after. The Ugly Stepsister makes you observe the ugly side of the story that Disney never wanted you to see.

Source: Flix Patrol