52 Films by Women Vol 9. 6. Den Stygge Stesøsteren (The Ugly Stepsister) (Director: Emilie Blichfeldt)
Pictured : Dr Esthétique ( Adam Lundgren ) goes to work on Elvira ( Lea Myren ), a young woman who dreams of marrying a prince, in a scene from the 2025 Norwegian horror film, Den Stygge Stesøsteren ( The Ugly Stepsister ), written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt . Still courtesy of Mer Film / Vertigo Releasing (UK) Scaring easily, I am not an enthusiast for horror films. Fortunately, most modern horror films use digital rather than practical effects and don’t frighten me as much. However, the Norwegian film, Den Stygge Stesøsteren ( The Ugly Stepsister ) is old school, with two sequences that made me cover my eyes. Written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt , the film is as much a homage to 1970s horror flicks – synthesizer soundtrack, misty exteriors, raw landscapes, camp performances – as a reaction to them. It describes the futility of believing that beauty is the route to happiness. To reverse the cliché, 80% of desirable men want 20% of available women but...