Who doesn’t love a new twist on an old tale? Well, if you’ve got a soft stomach, prepare yourself for “The Ugly Stepsister,” a twisted tale indeed, that reimagines the Cinderella story as a body-horror costume drama. From filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt, the film follows Elvira (Lea Myren), a young woman determined to make herself beautiful enough to win the prince’s hand, no matter the bloody, bone-crunching cost, after the death of her step-father’s sudden death puts her family’s life of luxury at risk. There’s just one problem: she has to compete with her gorgeous stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss, the Cinderella figure of this reimagining).
Revisionist fairy tales are a proud tradition and always an exciting opportunity to examine the old yarns that have become touchpoints in our social constructs, and “The Ugly Stepsister” promises to take a scalpel to beauty standards in its cheeky re-telling. The film is finally available for audiences to watch after scooping up festival acclaim, from its Sundance debut to taking home the Audience Award at the Overlook Film Festival earlier this month.
If you’re reading for a gruesome journey into what it takes to be the belle of the ball, here’s how you can watch “The Ugly Stepsister” right now and where to expect it on streaming.
When does “The Ugly Stepsiter” come out?
The film arrives in theaters on Friday, April 18.
Is “The Ugly Stepsister” playing in theaters near me?
There’s a good chance it is! “The Ugly Stepsister” is rolling out into 501 theaters nationwide. To see if it’s playing near you, check out the showtimes in the links below.
Is “The Ugly Stepsister” streaming?
Not yet, but it definitely will be! “The Ugly Stepsister” is a Shudder and IFC Films release, so when the time comes you’ll be able to watch it streaming on Shudder or via the AMC+ bundle.
IFC Films also has a streaming deal with Hulu (In fact, three 2024 Shudder highlights — “Oddity,” “Azrael” and “In a Violent Nature — are hitting the service this month), so there’sa good chance you’ll be able to catch it there down the line, but you’ll have to wait quite a while.
