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‘The Ugly Stepsister’ Review: A Raunchy, Gory, Punk-Rock Reimagining Of The Cinderella Story

‘The Ugly Stepsister’ review: A raunchy, gory, punk-rock reimagining of the Cinderella story

Now, as if to test that thesis, up pops this extraordinary film from Norway, an extreme fairytale that premiered at Sundance and explores similar themes of female desire and self-esteem but pushes things so much, much further with the odd (really) graphic sex scene and squeamish depictions of body modification. This seemingly whimsical philosophical idea is brought to the screen with a bang, largely in the character of Dr. Esthétique (Adam Lundgren), a cheesy cosmetic surgeon who, in readiness for the ball, reshapes Elvira’s nose with a chisel and laces fake eyelashes into her eyelids in gruesome scenes that recall, and surpass, A Clockwork Orange. Title: The Ugly Stepsister Distributor: Vertigo (UK), IFC (US) Director/screenwriter: Emilie Blichfeldt Cast: Lea Myren, Ane Dahl Torp, Thea Sofie Loch Naess, Isac Calmroth, Adam Lundgren Running time: 1 hr 45 mins

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