"Cinderella" Horror Film "Ugly Stepsister" Now Streaming

The trend of adapting beloved Disney stories into horror films continues to gain momentum. While many of these films rely on shock value and childhood nostalgia, The Ugly Stepsister stands out as a surprisingly profound reinterpretation of its source material. This Norwegian body horror film draws inspiration from Cinderella, a narrative that lends itself more naturally to the genre than, for instance, Winnie the Pooh.

The film delivers a suitably visceral experience, with Variety reporting audience members vomiting during its Sundance premiere. It currently boasts a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critic Katie Rife's review for IGN states: "A strong stomach is non-negotiable... as The Ugly Stepsister takes the concept of suffering for beauty to graphic, nauseating extremes."

If you're curious to test your own limits, you can now stream The Ugly Stepsister from the comfort of your home.

How to Watch The Ugly Stepsister Online

The Ugly Stepsister

0See it at ShudderSee it at Prime Video

The Ugly Stepsister is available on Shudder, a streaming service dedicated to horror with subscriptions starting at $7.50 per month, including a 7-day free trial. Shudder's content is also accessible via an AMC+ membership. For those avoiding additional subscriptions, the film can be rented or purchased on digital platforms like Prime Video.

The movie's transition to streaming follows less than a month after its U.S. theatrical release and nearly five months after its debut at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It also premiered in Norway a month before reaching North America. For an independent horror production, The Ugly Stepsister enjoyed a respectable run in theaters.

What’s The Ugly Stepsister About?

The Ugly Stepsister (originally titled Den stygge stesøsteren) is based on the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, not the Disney adaptation. According to IGN's review, "The Ugly Stepsister depicts crude and agonizing cosmetic-surgery procedures that – believe it or not – are not that far off from historical reality." Its fusion of body horror and societal beauty standards has drawn comparisons to last year's film, The Substance. Here is the official synopsis:

The Ugly Stepsister Cast and Characters

The Ugly Stepsister marks the feature film debut of writer-director Emilie Blichfeldt. The cast includes:

as ElviraThea Sofie Loch Næss as AgnesAne Dahl Torp as Rebekka, the stepmotherFlo Fagerli as AlmaIsac Calmroth as Prince JulianMalte Gårdinger as IsakRalph Carlsson as OttoIsac Aspberg as The FeinschmeckerAlbin Weidenbladh as The OmnivorousOksana Czerkasyna as CookKatarzyna Herman as Madame VanjaAdam Lundgren as Dr. EsthétiqueWilly Ramnek Petri as Frederik von BluckfishCecilia Forss as Sophie von Kronenberg