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The Ugly Stepsister is a twisted Norwegian-language retelling of the story of Cinderella. Screenwriter Emilie Blichfeldt made her directorial debut while co-writing the film.
The Ugly Stepsister, or Den stygge stesøsteren in Norwegian, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January of this year. It was then screened at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025.
It made its theatrical release in Norway on March 7, 2025. Subsequently, it came out in the US on April 18, 2025. Now, it can be streamed online on Shudder and AMC+. The movie can also be rented on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
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The film has earned critical appraise, gathering a rating of 7.3 on IMDb and 98% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Where to watch The Ugly Stepsister?
The Ugly Stepsister is now available to stream on OTT platforms. Shudder acquired the rights to stream the movie in various regions, including North America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Subscriptions to Shudder begin at $7.50/month.
The Shudder library can also be accessed via a subscription to AMC+, which starts at $6.99/month.
The movie can also be rented or bought on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV+, for viewers who don't have a subscription to either platform.
Premise of The Ugly Stepsister
In this warped tale inspired by the children's classic Cinderella, Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) marries an older man and moves into his home with her daughters, Elvira (Lea Myren) and Alma (Flo Fagerli), thereby becoming stepmother to the man's only daughter, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss).
After her husband dies on their wedding night, leaving her with nothing, Rebekka decides to find rich husbands for her daughters, Elvira and Agnes, who are now of age. However, since Agnes is seen as more beautiful, Rebekka worries this will hurt Elvira’s chances with Prince Julian.
Desperate to make Elvira more attractive, Rebekka forces her to undergo surgeries and even swallow a tapeworm to lose weight. When she learns that Agnes is no longer a virgin, she punishes her by making her a servant in their home.
As the Royal Ball approaches, Elvira becomes increasingly malnourished, while Agnes cries over her father's grave. She is visited by an apparition of her mother, who provides her with a ball gown, makeover, and carriage, in true Cinderella fashion.
Elvira is successful in capturing the Prince's attention, but he is quickly swayed by Agnes, disguised in a veil, but Elvira recognizes her. Upon leaving the ball, Agnes accidentally leaves a slipper behind, and Elvira is quick to demand its pair when they return home. With Rebekka's help, she begins to cut off her toes to fit her foot into the slipper.
When the Prince arrives the next morning, Elvira is too weak to climb down the stairs to see him, and ends up falling down and injuring herself. But she is too late - the Prince has found Agnes already.
Elvira then medicates herself to get rid of the tapeworms, and she and Alma leave Rebekka's house to live life on their own terms.
The Ugly Stepsister is now available to stream on multiple OTT platforms.
